About the Artist

When someone asks me what I do, their reaction to my answer is usually something like, "Wow, is that right. I wish I could draw." My response is, "If everybody could, I'd be out of a job." And in fact, it is my job, a pretty good one if you're not big on paid vacations.

I never found any romance in being a "starving artist." At an early point in my career planning I realized I could combine art and business through graphic design and advertising, pay the bills and paint artsy stuff any time I wanted. So I attended one of the best art and design schools in the world, the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. I got an honest-to-god bachelor's degree and went to work immediately and yes, I painted a lot too. Over nearly four decades, I owned several design and ad shops. Not very romantic but never missed a meal. A few years ago I sort of retired from all that but, like being in the mob, you can never really retire because you know too much, so I still help out associates from the old days.

If you Google me you probably won't find this site first, but a lot of things I did for fun but that became very successful. I don't do much of that anymore but I do cash the royalty checks. For years I painted in that Santa Fe style that you see so much of. I was bored with that and having given myself permission, out came the abstractionist, tentatively at first, still hanging on to clouds and mountainscapes. But finally I was able to break through to pure color and shape. And it really felt good.

So here's the obligatory arty question: what is my philosophy, my muse, the reason why I must express myself in paint? I like it. It's usually fun and it's something I know how to do well. And if you like the results, I'm happy.
That also accounts for why I'm standing here in a chef's jacket sniffing wine. Actually, if I had to choose careers again, I'm not sure which way I'd go. Either way, no starving.