essentially a reformed abstract expressionist doing mostly figurative and plein air landscape work in pastel and acrylic, sometimes rather tight otherwise "loose as a goose". Just being myself as honestly as I can. I like to play so not everything looks the same. My murals have been customer dominated and thus realistic as most of my commission work is, including sculpture commissions. I have work in collections all over the south, both private and corporate.

Been drawing and painting since age 3, after 54 years of working I probably should be better than I am but I've had one helluva good time and am not done yet.

After the Army (66 - 69) I used the g.i. bill to go to school. First 2 years at Key West jr. college and then 2 years in tallahassee, Fl. at Florida State University in the b.f.a. program. Then spent 10 or so years traveling the south doing sketch portraits. Picked up signpainting to diversify funding but that was killed by the computer in the early 90's. Moved to murals as main funding method. I've not worked in traditional formats or for others so I haven't bothered gathering those laurals/credentials one needs when submitting to others for ones sustenance. Word of mouth has been the credential I rely on. Active in the local Visual Art Center and a member of the Southwest Florida Pastel Society. Teach art history for the local Learning in Retirement program held at the community college, teach figure drawing at the Visual Art Center and run the open figure drawing session. I give a few private painting lessons, and join ad hoc groups to advance art appreciation in the local commuity.

Drawing and painting is my first language, english my second. I'm not as enthralled with wordy approaches to life and art as I was in the beginnning. I just work in a manner that is straight forward and honest. One can be truthful, straight ahead and still be subtle/sensitive, in fact one could easily argue that it is the only way one can be. It may well be the only meaningful arena left for drawing/painting to operate in or so it seems to me these days.

I work by the project. I operate with 50% down, 25% at half way and balance upon completion unless the job is more than $10,000. Then the pay program is 1/3 down, 1/3 halfway, 1/3 balance at completion. I'll give a contract finish date. I simply do not work by the hour.

Mostly figure drawing but plein-air landscape also, done with graphite, sanguine chalk, or pastels both hard and soft sometimes full color, other times just one or a few colors used for sketching. These days on Canson paper but sometimes full color on Wallis paper/substrate and othertimes prepared panel. Usually realistic but some with an expressionist component. Paintings are acrylic on canvas or panel, sometimes with oil paint on last layer. Figurative work and landscape are the general themes but I still do work in a non-objective expressionist theme from time to time.

My sculpture is almost always commission work usually done in clay first then bronzed or poured with epoxy resin/stone mixes. Do work in wood with chisels but haven't lately (last couple of years). These days my work has been figurative and/or protrait based, full size and free standing. Realistic with an expressionist touch.

My experience with art instruction has been at the Punta Gorda, FL. Visual Art Center over the last 11 years teaching figure drawing and painting. The last 4 years I've taught an art history class for the Retirement in Learning program held at the Edison community college campus in Punta Gorda, FL. I've held a couple of workshops on art history themes and figure drawing. I have conducted the open figure drawing group since 94 when I started it. Several southwest, fl. art groups have come to us for models since we are the only group that meets all year long and we've managed to build a good cadre of models.I have a few customers recieving private instruction in painting and general art awareness.

I've done many murals over the years but buildings come and go, just lost a 70x22ft one aug 13th, 2004 to hurricane "charley", it was the black history mural for the historical mural society of Punta Gorda, FL. I have a mural (24x8ft) in Arcadia, FL. in the conference room of the Ag Extension office for Desoto county.Another one on City Hall in Punta Gorda, FL.(22x9ft), one on the oldest continuous business in Punta Gorda, the Slip-not Lounge (70x8ft), and one on the MRI Medical building (6 panels of 8x8ft), also Punta Gorda. There are a several private ones in homes and another 2 that were lost to the aug. hurricane when the Holiday Inn was destroyed. Another in Lake Placid, FL. for the mural society there on the Wauchula State Bank (24x11ft), with another contracted for the Punta Gorda mural society to start when the hurricane damaged roof of the building is repaired.