Artist's Biography
I have spent most of my life in Colorado and more recently Arizona, my goal with my work is to evoke a strong emotion, a sense of “being there.” I have traveled extensively throughout the west, painting and sharing my personal vision in a way I hope draws people to my work by connecting on a personal level. “If someone can view my work and sense the cold, smell the dampness or feel the sun beating down, then I have been successful.”
From as early age, I loved to draw. I would spend hours watching my grandfather, a master stone cutter, work at his craft. Later, I would bring my drawings to him to be critiqued. It was not until I was older that I realized the lessons I was learning about design, layout and just plain hard work. I also recognize the strong work ethic instilled in me by my father, who taught me the importance of commitment to excellence.
As a young adult, I studied privately with Joe Brand, a respected wildlife artist and instructor at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. During a 4-year period, I focused exclusively on paintings of wildlife, learning structure, anatomy and strong fundamentals in working with oils.
My desire to work from life and to vary my subject matter led me to branch out into other areas and most importantly, to begin painting outside, “en plein air.” The exhilaration of standing face to face with the subject, challenged by the changing light, unpredictable weather and the need to distill the scene down to its essence continue to be the motivation that drives me to venture out in all types of weather. “Painting from life, especially outside on location, is critical in learning to see colors, understand value relationships and capture the unique feel of the subject that photographs cannot.”
I have exhibited in a variety of galleries and art shows throughout the country including: The Small Works Great Wonders Show at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum-Oklahoma; American Miniatures Show, Settlers West Gallery-Tucson Arizona; Masters in Miniature Invitational Show, Trailside Gallery-Jackson Hole Wyoming; Western Masters Show- Great Falls Montana and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Salon International-San Antonio Texas; CM Russell Auction-Great Falls Montana; Mountain Oyster Club-Tucson Arizona; and the National Exhibition of The Oil Painters of America.