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Biography
As a regionalist
painter, the inspiration and imagery for my
paintings come from the small town of
Carthage, Mo., where my home and studio are
located, and from the beautiful, rolling
countryside of my native Missouri Ozarks. My
streetscapes and landscapes are loose,
realistic renderings of scenes that most
people relate to and feel comfortable with.
My fascination with steam locomotives allows
me to work with more abstract shapes and
interesting colors and textures while still
keeping a realistic viewpoint. They
challenge me to convey the immense power
they represent.
For over 20 years, I painted exclusively in
transparent watercolor (probably the most
difficult medium to master). In the last few
years, I expanded into gouache, acrylics and
oils as well - a very rewarding experience.
Many works in this new medium tend toward
impressionism which I love. I believe I
always had an innate sense of art. In
college, I doodled strange creatures instead
of paying attention to my music courses. But
music was my chosen field and I spent five
years as a woodwind artist in a U.S. Navy
Band.
The first time I held a brush was at the age
of 35. I had an audio business in a busy
mall in Jacksonville, Fl., where a regional
art show was on exhibition. I was drawn to a
number of watercolor paintings by a local
artist, and told my wife, Jo, that when I
retired, I would love to learn to paint. She
enrolled me in a six-week course with that
same artist as a birthday gift. There was no
looking back, and 10 years later, after
moving back to Missouri, I became a
full-time professional artist.
Whenever I travel to art shows across the
country, I always have my camera with me to
capture that momentary gift of all the right
elements coming together to make a wonderful
image - light and shadow, texture, color and
shape. And on the right kind of day, I like
to drive around town or the countryside
looking for images that speak to me.
I have conducted many workshops, mostly in
the central Midwest. I prefer small classes,
minimum of 10 and maximum of 20, so I can devote
time to each student. I have entered hundreds of
competitions and won numerous awards, including
two High Winds Medals in the American Watercolor
Society annuals, and a Silver Medal of Honor for
Watercolor from the Audubon Artists of America.
The past two years I have had works accepted in
Watercolor U.S.A., both of which won awards, and
my work has been published in several art
magazines and books. I was a charter member of the
Transparent Watercolor Society of America (then
Midwest Watercolor Society), served on its board
and currently am a board member of Missouri
Watercolor Society, and a director of the
Watercolor USA Honor Society. |
