Artists' Resources in Sonoma County

From a very young age, I’ve been scribbling, drawing, painting, sculpting, and have always tried to create something from nothing. To fulfill that craving, I officially began studying art in high school and continued with those studies in College. After completing two years at Missouri Southern College in 1974 with art as my major, I pursued a career outside the art field. However, I continued to study art in my spare time, invariably experimenting with different styles and techniques.

In 1986 I attended the San Francisco Art Institute, which had a positive influence on me as a person and artist. But my paintings from that era reflect a painful arsenal of artistic ideas manifested from living in San Francisco and attending the Art Institute. It was not until I moved to Sonoma County in 1993 that I became enlivened by nature again and started painting Northern California landscapes full-time. Currently working in oil, my art is about nature and the unspoiled landscape. As an artist I hope to convey the magnificent and awesome power of nature in its most natural and undisturbed state. My paintings are about feeling nature and becoming aware of our surroundings within nature. As an earth advocate with a passion for the outdoors, I strive to provide a better understanding and appreciation of the environment in which we live.
My recent work has been referred to as realism, but that’s not the most important aspect of my painting. I’m simply trying to provoke an emotional response by capturing the mood from a scene. Working from sketches and detailed notes that describe a location allows me to recapture that mood on canvas and pass the experience, energy and excitement on to the viewer. The beauty of nature is more than what we see; it’s an emotion and intense power. It’s this power that motivates my paintings.
A significant characteristic of art is the tradition of oil painting. Classic paintings from past generations, as demonstrated by the Renaissance masters, are provocative and timeless. I also paint to keep this tradition alive. Keeping in touch with the past is vital for our future and preserving nature ensures our perpetual evolution.
In 1998, I was awarded a grant from the Pollock/Krasner Foundation in New York, which took me to Alaska to paint a series of paintings. As a result, “Vanishing Landscapes”, an exhibit from the Alaska Wilderness. That exhibit lead to an exclusive two year contract with Galerie Elektra in October 1999.
I also became an official member of the United Anglers of Casa Grande in 1999 for painting a mural at the Casa Grande High School fish hatchery in Petaluma, California. They are environmentally active as well and it was my donation for there invaluable cause.