Art has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I love people and I have relished drawing and painting the figure since my grade school days. Fortunately, none of those early grammar school portraits are at my website. My purpose is to create images that are beautiful and historical. My focus is to display Christian, family values and reveal the truth by reflecting historical facts. . My Bachelor of Fine Art at the Kansas City Art Institute led me to life as a full-time graphic designer and freelance illustrator for over thirty years. I enjoy the play of light and color in nature and I enjoy telling a good story.
When I am not painting commissioned portraits, or painting plein air, I have cherished having several Native Americans pose for me. I have been interested in the life of Native Americans because of my ancestry. My grandfather was a cowboy, horse trainer and rancher in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was married to my grandmother, who was half-Cherokee and half-African American. I remember when I was a little boy. Then, I would ride horseback and sometimes travel to see my grandfather in rodeos in Oklahoma and Arkansas; it was an awesome experience. Currently, I am researching the history of the relationship between Native Americans and African Americans in the old west. I have been fortunate to gain the assistance from the Texas Civil War Museum. Their historians assist me in my quest to insure all the artifacts in my paintings are authentic. My goal is to have my paintings auctioned successfully at the Coeur d' Alene in Reno, Nevada.
I am a member of the Oil Painters of America and I work in oil paint because I enjoy the flexibility of oils. I enjoy observing people and I still continue in figure drawing sessions with the live model. I challenge myself to work more efficiently by writing articles and blogs about different oil painting techniques and attending workshops. Some of the painters that have influenced me include; Norman Rockwell, Caravaggio, Howard Terpning and Mian Situ.
I hope you enjoy my work!
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