I was born in Michigan's Upper Penninsula in 1962. After studying painting and design in college, I made a living as a designer for 14 years. First in broadcast television design at the CBS affiliate in Denver, then in 1990 I started an animation studio in Madison, Wisconsin, producing work clients such as PBS and The Learning Channel.

In 1998 I made the decision to paint full time, wanting more training, I moved to Minneapolis to study classical oil painting techniques. After a couple of years studying the figure from life at the ateliers in the area, it was suggested I try the classes offered at The Hurinenko & Paquet Studio. There I took Jeff Hurinenko's excellent class in portrait painting and was introduced to Flemish painting techniques. I also signed up for Joe Paquet's classes in landscape painting and composition. The first time I set up a french easel outside and painted with the sun on my face, I was hooked, (I had spent too many years in front of a computer monitor on beautiful days). For the past six years I have concentrated on learning to paint plein air, and working these paintings into larger studio paintngs. Studying with Joe Paquet introduced me to a technique of oil painting rooted in the teaching of Frank Dumond, the legendary instructor at the Art Students League in New York.

My goals are to paint a little better today than yesterday, to further explore the subjects that inspire me to paint and to communicate those feelings to the viewer.

I've been influenced and inspired by many artists, some by their work, some by the lives they led, some by both. Closest to my heart are late 19th century / early 2oth century painters,Winslow Homer, Anders Zorn, Joaquin Sorolla, Issac Levitan, John Singer Sargent, 2oth century Americans John Sloan, George Bellows, Rockwell Kent, Edward Hopper, Charles Birchfield, Maynard Dixon, Edgar Payne, John Stuart Curry, including the still productive Andrew Wyeth and RobertVickery.

  "What I wanted to do was to paint sunlight on the side of a house"

Edward Hopper