About The Artist
My interest in painting began at the age of 16 when I
started painting sailboats on scraps of wood salvaged from the dumpsters of
cabinet manufacturers. I was quite successful and over one summer I made a few
hundred dollars. Not bad money back in 1969. Spurred on by this success I
decided to pursue a career in art while supplementing my income with temporary
work as a cook in various well known restaurants. My parents always told me I
could be anything I wanted, if I just worked hard enough. They were almost
right; they just forgot the part about education. As the years passed my
temporary work turned into a career and my artwork hit a major slump. Back
then I didn't
know it , but my lack of artistic training was starting to hurt me. I
knew what I wanted to paint, but I didn’t have the techniques to do it.Then I discovered the airbrush. This wonderful tool
allowed me to do the subtle colors and shading that I couldn't get with acrylics
and a traditional brush. I reasoned that if I could just do a painting with
enough detail it would overwhelm the viewer and make up for a lack of
composition. Obviously, I was wrong. I produced several paintings with the
airbrush, but stopped after the fourth one. The time needed to produce each
painting turned painting into drudgery, although to this day I'm still happy
with the results.
During this time I discovered photorealism. The great
photorealists were producing fantastic art and I wanted to be a part of it along
with my trusty airbrush. My first airbrush artwork was a phone booth. While
walking the streets of St. Petersburg I came across a phone booth that I thought
would make a good subject. A girl heading into it paused to allow me to take
the picture, but I motioned her to go on in anyway. I took the picture and she became
a part of my art.
It came out well, but I wanted to do something different.
One day while looking for something to photograph and paint I came across a
rusty, old train at the Port of Tampa. I poked my zoom lens through a chain
link fence and captured it in all its dilapidated glory. That's when I decided
to take the dirty, rusty and ordinary objects that surround us every day and
turn them into objects of beauty.
It's been said that life is a journey, and that's the way
my art is. Eventually I dropped the airbrush and went back to acrylics. Looking
for rusty objects to paint led me to trains. What a treasure trove of rustiness
they are. I never intended to be a railroad artist, yet I can't get away from
them. Their rusty machinery contrasted with the natural beauty of the
countryside absolutely captivates me. So I've gone from sailboats to phone
booths, to planes and trains, all the while in the pursuit of excellence.
I believe fine art is like good wine. Some wines are good
and some are bad, but the best wine is the one you like. I've haven't won many
awards and prizes, and I never went to any prestigious art schools, but if you
like what you see, then that's all that matters.
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