| Artist Biographical Sketch
As a child, I was encouraged to paint or draw, In
grade school I had trouble grasping the Three R’s but give me a pencil, a piece of caulk or a paint brush an some
paint and I did not hesitate to create.
Growing up I had many influences. The first of course
were my parents. Mom and Dad while not Artist, in the Artist sense, knew good design an ascetics from having designed
a built several homes. This artistic interest in design and building homes carried over into my art.
Private art lessons were given to me by Sally Armstrong, beginning in 1963. I made drawings with pencil and paper
from still life for several years. Upon moving to Seattle Garry Laturner and Jan Grandston encouraged me to paint in their
classes at Tyee Junior High, I still have several paintings form this period. At
Newport High School I received my first instruction in abstract Art form from Ron Adams, and I took an immediate dislike
to abstract art. However he encouraged me in drawing figures, making sculptures in plaster and painting
still lives. I was exposed to the Gallery scene and other professional Artist from this time on. In my senior year,
I went to Europe for six months. I visited the galleries in and around Geneva Switzerland. I was moved by some of the great
paintings of previous centuries. While I had a lot of influences during my youth, I did not endorse abstract art or for
that matter abstract painting until my college years. I began college in the
fall of 1972, taking basic design and figure drawing. My course of study was not set. At one pint I wanted to major in history,
(my other passion) To this day I still read and enjoy history. During my mid college years I asked a lot of questions,
struggled to find myself. After some eye opening experiences dropped out of school for awhile. In 1976, with more focus I went back to Washington State University enrolled in their art program. I had two instructors
that left their mark on me, Andrew Hofmiester and Keith Monaghan both respected Northwest Artist. Mr.
Hofmiester influenced me greatly in water color painting and the freedom one could achieve in its use. Mr.
Monaghan’s influence was scene in the compositional qualities I developed. In 1976 I entered and was accepted in
the Bellevue watercolor society annuls show I have been considered seriously as a painter from that time on.
In 1978 I entered the University of Washington graduate program.
Mr. Jacob Lawrence and Mr. Alden Mason played key rolls as instructors in my development. My use
of color and composition were further developed a refined. It was not until after I had left school that a definite mature
direction would develop.
During a lunch break in the summer of 1984. I happen
to look down at a patch of grass (I was cutting lawns for a living). As I looked at the lawn I saw all the colors in the
spectrum. Inspired by this I started painting with renew vigor and vitality. I have continued to paint in a similar mode
using dots of color on a colored ground for the past 16 years. In 1994 I added print making to my art. This
gave me a definite motif from one painting to another, allowing me to develop better color sense. I am continuing to develop
new paintings using print making based on the landscape. When asked
the question why does Art matter? I feel what is really being asked is why are you a living breathing human being in the
21st century? Art is an integrated part of us all, and we often don’t take time to see and absorb it.
A part of our culture, from the privacy of our homes to public environments, Art is what we do and who we are. | 