I took up painting back in 1985 after I noticed I seemed to have  the ability to capture likenesses through live portrait sittings. Now as I get older, I notice I haven't yet lost that touch.  Many of the portraiture techniques I use today I gleaned from the renowned pastel portrait artist Daniel Greene during a workshop with him. Although I'm happy to paint a portrait from a photo, particularly that of a young child or of an older person who has passed away, there's nothing I like better than to sit down in front of a live person and paint his/her portrait from life. 

My landscape paintings result from the sense of awe I feel as I walk around the incredibly colorful world of my home country here in western Pennsylvania.  Once, early in my art career, a mentor advised me, "Paint what you know."  That's what I'm trying to do.  The best expression of my artistic vision right now is the word: "WOW!"