I've
always thought of myself as a Westerner which, I suppose, entails a sense of
belonging, and exaggeration. So I'll confine this to the basics.
I was first influenced by an artist named Frank Erickson. He conveyed a tremendous passion for the
landscape, and a mentally tough, and rigorous approach to the
science of the figure.
Hiking the hills, and climbing the nearby mountains are nearly my
earliest memories. It's hard to describe how a vision of the
landscape can be embedded in your psyche, and how it can inspire while
not demanding to be one's subject.
When I was 19 I hitch hiked from Alaska to New York City. I tried to
compare the
breadth of the land to the history of our art. I kept that
investigation
going for several years. During this period I
studied with F Anthony Smith, and Robert Kleinschmidt, and
graduated from the University of Utah with a BFA (1973).
I spent a very interesting summer session at the Yale Summer School of
Music and Art in Norfolk Connecticut in 1972 with many talented
students and Faculty including David Pease, and Chuck
Close.
After living Back East, I eventually settled in
the Sacramento Valley with my spouse and our
family. I studied with Oliver Jackson and Jack Ogden during a
Master of Arts in Art course at California
State University, Sacramento, graduating in 1982.
I've always preferred immersing myself in the work
at hand, to self promotion
and commercial goals. But I strongly believe that artists
are inherently collaborative. The world wide web is
a fantastic place for art workers to share their vision and provides a meaningful opportunity to reach the general public.
