ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHY AND STORY
As a twelve year old boy growing up in Alexandria, Virginia, I loved spending my free time in the great Washington D.C. museums. I can remember entering the National Gallery of Art, passing the statue of Mercury and climbing the stairs to the main floor of the Museum. Turning left at the first corridor, I walked into a large gallery and settled my gaze on the Madonna and Child, by Raphael. It was so clear and beautiful I was amazed by the fact that it was painted five hundred years ago. The Lovers, by Picasso, and The Salisbury Cathedral, by Constable were other paintings that greatly impressed me and inspired me and have influenced my art to this day.
As I grew older and became a young adult, my interest and love for art grew. As a student earning my Bachelors in Art, with a minor in English at Indiana University, I continually worked on studying the artists that I admired and creating my own style of painting. While working on my Masters in Art from San Jose State University, I rented an empty four car garage and used it as an art studio. One painting I completed there was accepted into the 85th Annual National Exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art. Two others are in the San Jose Museum of Art's permanent collection. I also have a painting in the De Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University. About that time, I had a one person art show at the Triton Museum, when it was in downtown San Jose. About fifteen years ago, I was accepted in Who's Who in American Art. Now I am showing my work in the Gallery of Morgan Hill, Casa Galleria in San Juan Bautista, Nova Gallery in Los Gatos, and other various shows in the South Bay Area. I am the President of the Valle Del Sur Plein Air Painting Group that paints on site at various locations in Northern California. Recently I was fortunate to win first prize in my first Plein Air Invitational Art contest at Hidden Villa in Los Altos, California. Throughout my artistic journey, I have discovered that my goal as an artist is to create paintings that encourage people to constantly experience the beauty of the American landscape. I want to create positive work that people will continuously enjoy. |