Atop Mt. Sneffels, in Colorado's San Juan Range.
Influences
While I am "self-taught," an artist cannot help but be affected by the work of others seen in books, museums and galleries. I have been fortunate over the years to have visited many of America's major museums, as well as several in Europe, and many times the galleries of Santa Fe. There's nothing like seeing original Vermeers, Homers or Rembrandts to excite the passions and educate. I have attended a workshop with Matt Smith, Dan Young and Ralph Oberg, all major painters of the Southwest. I own an extensive library of art-related books, have widely read of the history and techniques of painting, and, though I have never tried to copy or ape the style of another, as G. B. Shaw once observed, "One can be no more original than a tree can grow out of the air."
My still lifes perhaps owe the most to Dutch vanitas masters such as Pieter Claesz, and the Armenian-American Hovsep Pushman has been an influence as well. My landscapes may most reflect various Nordic painters and the Russian Levitan. Nevertheless, I have often been told (and believe it to be so) that my style is unique, and variable.
Commissions
I have received and successfully executed several private commissions, ranging from wildlife to landscape - and even a "portrait" of a home. I will gladly consider commission requests, accepting those that provide a subject or challenge of interest to me.
Awards and Collections
I have received many awards (e.g., Best of Show, Honorable Mention, etc.) in juried local and national shows (e.g., Champion of the Arts Award, Brush and Palette Club, Western Colorado Center for the Arts' National Contemporary Show, Rockies West National Watercolor Show); have had numerous paintings purchased by institutions for their collections (e.g., St. Mary's Medical Center, Grand Junction, CO; Valley View Hospital, Glenwood Springs, CO; St. Joseph’s Hospital, Brainerd, MN; Essentia Health Hospital, Duluth, MN; Mesa County Central Library, Grand Junction); and have sold two or more works to several private collectors. My paintings are in private collections in several states, as well as Switzerland, Finland and Dubai.
Media & Supports
The majority of my paintings are executed in oil or alkyd on archival hardboard panels (Ampersand Gessobord) or stretched canvas or linen; occasionally I'll paint on Multi-media Artboard or gessoed paper. For watercolors I mainly use Arches cold pressed 140 lb paper. Media used for both types of painting are primarily Winsor and Newton or Gamblin products.