Painting is truly something that is a part of my soul, my way of interpreting the world. I don't believe that I'm just a painter. I'm a creator and an interpreter of light, form, movement and lots of color.
My vehicle for this form of expression is the palette knife. This insturment allows me to add dimension and life to a flat surface. But the power of expression that I feel and communicate on canvas is through the action of putting down large amounts of paint that I can mold and sculpt into a landscape or an uban scene.
I was born in southern Illinois in 1943. I spent my childhood in Salem, Missouri. It was in Missouri, in grammar school, that my interest in drawing began. At the age of 12, my mother boutht me my first painting set. The colors consisted of blue, brown and green; any additional colors came from leftover house paint. My first canvases were the inside of creal boxes. Even as a child, my passion and determination to paint wa snot stifled by my lack of painting materials.
It was not until the early 60s, when my family moved to Illinois, did I invest $50 for six one-hour art lessons from regional artist Martin Pribil. Pribli taught me the basic techniques of composisiton and mising of colors. During the istime, my palette wqas of dark earth colors of the Barbizon era. This restricted palette seemed to frustrate me. My switch to impressionism reflected my personal vision of life.
I have had many one-man showas as well as galleries across the United States, Canada and Europe.
My goal is to have you, the patrons and admirers of my work, feel as though you are in the scene. I want you to feel the calmness and sun light of my landscapes. I want you to hear the hustle and bustle of the city life in my urban scenes.
Most of all I want you to enjoy what I do as my as I enjoy creating each and every piece.
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