I am presently retired and pursuing art for the joy of it, considering each new piece as a journey into the unknown never knowing for sure where it will lead. Recent years have brought a looseness in my work that has escaped me in earlier years. In the past I was quite tight and very controlled artistically which made creating art a chore, and at times, even a labor. I continuously sought perfection which made obtaining a sense of fulfillment difficult. I have more recently found that I can be satisfied, even content in imperfection. The end result of this newfound looseness and the abandonment of perfection as a requirement is a "new" art that is unique to all that I have previously experienced.
My journey in art began with the pursuit of an art degree at Layton School of Art in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After two and a half years and a decision to put the pursuit of a degree on hold I enlisted in the Air Force during the time of our Nation's participation in the Vietnam war.
For most of my four year enlistment in the Air Force I served as as illustrator. This involved doing illustrations for the base newspaper and pilot training school, creating briefing aids and charts and producing the occasional drawing of a crime scene or crash site.
Upon completion of my four year enlistment I returned to Layton School of Art for a semester and then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to complete a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree in painting.
I would love to say that completing a degree in fine art immediately qualifies one for a life long, financially successful, profession as an artist but that seems true of only a few. My path was into graphic arts, in particular, pre-press. That career included:
Photography, specifically photo composition, retouching and hand assembly of transparencies.
Color correction as a color artist in Rotogravure for clients such as Sears, J.C. Penny and Aldens.
Color correction, film assembly and photo retouching for numerous printers and clients such as Kohl's department stores.
Set up and operation of an electronic desk top prepress department for Cook Communications Ministries originally in Elgin Illinois which later relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
After retirement I've assisted local artists in procuring quality fine art prints by providing color correction consultation to businesses supplying digital printing services.
Now for the somewhat dull but necessary part of any artist's bio:
Shows: "Landscapes from a Different View" (Spiva Center for the Arts-Joplin, MO), "Renaissance in Pastel 2002" (Slater Memorial Museum-Norwich, CT), One man show (ArtCentral-Carthage, MO), Ozark Pastel Society Celebration of Pastel (Springdale, AR), Pastel Society of New Mexico's Twelfth Annual National Painting Exhibition (Albuquerque, NM), OPS Membership Show (Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, OK) and The Midwest Gathering of Artists (Carthage, MO)
Awards: Juror's award at the Business of Art Center in Manitou Springs, CO. Second Place at the 2001 Fall Foliage competition in Old Colorado City, CO. Best of Show and an Honorable Mention in the Thomas Hart Benton Show in Neosho, MO. Third Place award in the national Pastel Journal's Pastel 100 competition/landscape division, Second Place and an Award of Merit in the 2003 Ozark Pastel Society Celebration of Pastel Art competition in Springdale, AR., The Wingspread Award in the Pastel Society of New Mexico's Twelfth Annual National Painting Exhibition in Albuquerque, NM. Best of Show in the 2004 Ozark Pastel Society Open Competition in Fort Smith, AR.
Galleries: Business of Art Center (Colorado Springs, CO), Slater Memorial Museum (Norwich, CT), Spiva Center for the Arts (Joplin, MO), Cedar Keys Art Center (Cedar Keys, FL), Art Central (Carthage, MO) and Art Accents (Bentonville AR).
Published: The Pastel Journal and The Artist's Magazine.
In conclusion, I hope to present to the reader with the portrait an artist who has combined a career of professional color experience and years as a competitive, exhibiting artist with a newfound looseness and freedom that now significantly influences my art.
