An avid lifelong traveler, Caplan visited Vienna in spring 1972. While there he visited the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where he first viewed Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s painting The Hunters in the Snow. He was so moved by it that he rushed to the nearest art supply store and began painting that same day. Caplan credits that experience as the catalyst for the start of his painting career.
He particularly enjoys random and abstract brushstrokes and surfaces because of the new artistic worlds they open. In his own words, “With all the frustrations in life, painting is salvation and an endless exploration into my unknown psyche.”
