History
I was born and raised in Charleston, SC. I have the two greatest parents a person could want, still living there. Although I moved to Asheville, NC I still consider Charleston my home.

I am married to a wonderful woman. Actually, anyone who puts up with all the chaos and messes my interests and hobbies create, has to be a pretty amazing person. Maybe someday you will see a portrait of her in the gallery.

I have two of the greatest daughters in the world. They fill my life with joy.

Art
Art has always been a part of my life. I cannot remember a time that I was not drawing. My mother found the picture to the right, where I drew Abraham Lincoln when I was thirteen. My mother and father encouraged our interests. At age 10 I was interested in photography,  so my father turned our garage into a darkroom. My older sister is  a wedding photographer today. You can see her work at A click in Time Photography. I was interested in woodworking and my father built a woodworking shop out back. That led to woodcarving which led to sculpture.

I am captivated by classical realism art. I want to capture a scene or a likeness and leave you with more than a photo. I want you to know the spirit in the picture. I love art that commands respect for the artist's skill and ability. I have little respect for most modern art.  If  an eight year old can copy your work without any training, it's hard to imagine that it deserves more than lunch money.

Salvador Dali was visiting a modern art gallery and  an art critic who was accompanying him noticed that he kept looking at a plain door of the gallery far away from the hanging paintings. When he was asked about his fascination with the door and why he was ignoring the art, he said that the door was best piece of art in the place. He commented on the skill of the painter of the door who applied his finish with mastery. He any old hack, including the man who put the finish on the door could, without effort reproduce any of the art hanging on the walls, but not one of the artists featured in the gallery could refinish a door like that.

I believe art happens when skill meets vision. Many people have vision with no talent to bring their vision into the world. Many people have incredible talent, with nothing to say with their art. When both talent and vision meet in visual form, it is moving. It is art.

Most Current Adventure
I am privileged to apprentice Benjamin Long, who truly is a living master. He apprenticed with Pietro Annigoni. His oil paintings and drawings are masterful and defy time. He is truly the master of the fresco, a dying art, but once the hallmark of Michelangelo.  It is my goal to paint and draw like the old masters and Ben.