my story and I'm sticking to it

well I didn't do so well keeping this currrent so I'm only going to promise to post an update every now and then. Had a hectic end of summer but it still sounds like an excuse.

My bio info is much more informal than most as I haven't kept records of where I've been or what I was doing, only watched out where I was going.
Really haven't needed to collect the laurals one uses to apply for jobs as 'word of mouth' has always fed me so far.

It all started with a standard small village childhood on Chautauqua Lake in the snow bound country of southwestern New York - Mayville.


Dad moved the family to Fort Pierce, Florida in 1959 and I have always been thankful he had the courage to come south with a young family and no guarantees.

There is no reason one should struggle to be warm on a globe with an equator.

I was lucky, my youth was spent in the south with ocean, surf, beaches, palm trees and puberty.

The rest of the time was spent reading and drawing/painting. I was told I started at 3, though I don't remember this neither do I remember a time when I haven't been drawing and painting.


After high school the U.S.Army was kind enough to offer me an opportunity for an electronics education and to practice the “arts of war” in Asia.

 
With that steadying influence under my belt I returned to the States and became a fully matriculated free citizen.

Hit the road for a while doing sketch portraits, did a short stint on a couple of shrimp boats, and ended up in Key West where I started college on the G.I.Bill.

 Found I really enjoyed it so I did the B.F.A. program at Florida  State   University majoring in studio arts with a minor in Art History.

Out by 1973 and back on the road doing sketch portraits anywhere I could draw a crowd and make a few bucks.

.
This went on for awhile with a break to travel & paint in South America for a year or so.


After getting back stateside I went back to drifting around doing my sketches, put in a year offshore on the oil rigs, and picked up sign painting to help fund my adventures.


Before I knew it several decades had gone by. I had gotten a little better at drawing and painting, kept up with my reading and was now wearing grey hair.


Still single with a few close calls.

 Have shown all over the southern states that border the Gulf of Mexico in restaurants, lounges, office buildings, banks, art galleries, and now the internet.
Have work in many personal and corporate collections in both South and North America as well as public murals and sculpture.


Decided to go for a sail about in 1990 and came to Punta Gorda, Florida where my brother Dennis lives to put things together.

Once again time slid by unnoticed while smearing paint on anything that would hold still.

Was co-founder/participant of Moss Gallery for its 5 years in Charlotte Harbor, Florida.
 

 Judged many shows in the surrounding area and served a short stint on the board of the local visual art center as workshop chairman.

I was able to start the open figure drawing weekly session (and ran it for 12 years) as well as holding beginning drawing, figure drawing, painting, and art history classes before I moved on to other adventures.
 

I have volunteered on several ad-hoc committees to advance the arts in the community. Was one of two instrumental in starting Gallery Walk – though my partner in this endeavor has continued while I dropped out to follow other adventures.

I have volunteered my art skills at many fundraisers to benefit local needs.



There is a side of me that isn’t covered by art that I feel is a real portion of that from which I draw my sensibilities.
 

I am a single hand cruiser with a pearson vanguard sailboat (hull # 373-Celerity).

I have spent many years as a A.S.A. sailing instructor and spend most of my time on the water when not in a studio.

 That`s all there is folks … at least for awhile.