My training as an artist began in grade school when a teacher told me I would never be an artist because I did not follow her drawing. High school art opened a new opportunity for me when my art instructor gave me a chance to do a stone sculpture and gave me skills in all media. Studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Layton School of Art in Milwaukee inspired me to follow an art career in the ad business. I was inspired by the Hudson River Painters style which led me to painting from nature. I have been studying the styles of many old masters and have developed a way to paint and capture a sense of being there by creating enough of the image and capturing the mystery of God’s creation. My goal is to excite the viewer by letting them slow down and discover images that remind them of a time or place.