I am a native of the Ozarks region of Arkansas and spent many hours of my formative years drawing and roaming on our cattle farm. I indulged a love of art and a desire to learn to paint as a very young teen by taking my only formal art lessons to date. Aside from these lessons which mostly covered perspective drawing, I am self taught. After receiving a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arkansas, I moved my young family to the suburbs of Washington D.C. to pursue a career with NASA. I have designed, built, and operated systems in orbit around Earth and soon to be on their way to Mars. Since then, I have relocated back to my home state and am currently in the process of painting in all 75 counties of my home state. Paintings and commentary related to this project can be found at http://paintingarkansas.blogspot.com
I am a very cerebral, almost analytical, painter. I believe that direction and method of brushwork is as important to a composition as are color, value, edge, and form. In other words, the manner in which paint is applied is as important as what paint is applied and where it is applied. I seek to achieve a rhythmic and lyrical quality to my work, both by standard methods of color placement, value variation and form but in the direction of brushwork. The fine details of my techniques are in constant evolution as my knowledge of the physics and chemistry of my medium grow.
I am also currently experimenting with introducing non-interpretational messaging into pieces of a more abstract nature but which stand on their own, regardless of message, as a wholly satisfactory design.
Most of my pieces are done in studio from photos and my recollected impressions of place. I enjoy taking in the locations I intend to paint, making them a part of my self so that when I am in the studio, the end product is the result of processing the locale through the filters of my mind and spirit. I use the photographic reference sparingly for form and to jar my memories. After initial lay ins, it is usually referred to rarely. I am just now embarking upon the plein air experience.
I currently reside outside Little Rock, Arkansas with my wife of 16 years and 2 wonderful sons.