Simon always informally planned on becoming a professional painter. It wasn't until his late teenage years in Madrid, Spain, however, that he made the conscious decision to dedicate himself fully to his dream. It would be hard for Simon to imagine doing anything else because he has been drawing and painting for as long as he can remember. As children, he and his brother Seth would sit in front of the television for hours drawing what they saw on the screen. His parents have always supported Simon's interest in art, and he is quick to credit his mother as his "foundation of encouragement". Since those days, Simon has taken his painting outside the living room. An avid outdoorsman, Simon has always been drawn to the natural beauty of the earth. Although he prefers to paint on location, he also spends a great deal of time painting from his own photographs or drawings and can occasionally be found working on still lifes. When it comes to choosing his subjects, he doesn't seem to prefer any specific method. His motivations for the emphasis of certain subjects in his paintings seem just as varied as his methods for choosing them. "In some of my paintings there is a definite reason or underlying motive for why I created it. In others, I just painted it because it made me feel good inside. I don't really claim a ‘style'. I'd rather have people look at my work and not have a predetermined notion of what it should be." Simon is featured in close to half a dozen galleries, and was recently chosen as one of Southwest Art magazine's annual "21 under 31" up and coming artists. He has spent time abroad studying art in the Pais Vasco and Catalunya regions of Spain. Due to the high demand for his work he struggles to find time for the leisure activities he enjoys, such as rock climbing and mountain biking.