The Early Years

Artistic interest runs in my family.  I was drawing constantly as a child. After I was able to visit the few galleries and museums in my area, I decided on oil painting as my media. I bought a book titled " Painting Landscapes and Seascapes by Robert Wood", and it all began. I accomplished my first oil painting of a Laguna Beach seascape when I was 17 years old. In addition to art,  I have also always loved nature and the natural world.  I majored in  wildlife management in college with a minor in illustrating.  While still in college I was offered a position as a ranager in the National Park Service.  Having a lot of college debt, I took the well paying government  job with the idea of being able to paint in my free time.  The free time became less and less available as I worked up the government  food chain. I retired from a great career in the NPS as soon as I was eligible to receive my life-long annuity, which would allow me to finally pursue my ultimate life goal of being an fully dedicated artist. My last position with the NPS was at the Grand Canyon.  My wife and I moved to Cottonwood, AZ and I immediately immersed myself in the world of the artist. Sedona is a great small art town and it allowed me to immediately associate with other artists and take workshops from local successful painters.  It is now over twelve years later and I have traveled some distance on the journey, but I feel that I am not even close to whatever the final destination will look like.