Oil painting started for me on a green wooden rowboat on the banks of the Flambeau River in Northern Wisconsin as a young boy of twelve.  I then moved to the North Shore of Lake Superior for the continuation of my art focus in high school.  I painted my first boat, a Lake Superior ore carrier, a sister ship of the Edmond Fitzgerald, as she was moored at the company docks of what is now known as the North Shore Mining.

I started as an art major at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and through an interesting turn of events, ended up graduating from the William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota.  I have had a camera in hand over the years and captured images in England, France, Spain, Turkey, the Bahamas, West Indies, Virgin Islands, Apostle Islands, San Juan Islands, West Coast, Mountains of Colorado and Montana.  Nature has always been a source of inspiration for me.

I love the creative process of rich oil on canvas, of seeing the paint blend and not blend, of the imagery being created on the once barren white canvas, and of the bold Caribbean color against a sea of blue and green.  In many of my works I move thick areas of paint with both palette knife and brushes to create depth and contrast.  In other pieces, the paint is flat yet bold, as deep textures of underneath color vibrate with newer layers of paint. 

My paintings are fearless and vibrant.  Some radiate with the sharp colors of sunset, others exhibit tranquil movement and flow.  I am constantly seeking balance in my paintings, while maintaining moments of visual tension and contrast. 

Water has always been my muse, and it is an ongoing theme in much of my work. The source of much of my work comes from the sea, Lake Superior, the Mississippi River and waters that flow into it, including the Flambeau River where my first boat was located, and mountains and streams.  I also find the works of Howard Hodgkin and Richard Diebenkorn inspirational.

The act of painting brings me solace, and I hope my artwork will do the same for you.  Please come for a visit!