I was born in San Antonio, Texas. My early dreams of being an artist were encouraged by my parents and art instructors. My father was an accomplished artist, award winning photographer and my mother a noted school psychologist and speaker. At age 11, while taking a drawing class at the Witte museum, the instructor expressed to my mother that I was gifted and should pursue the arts. Later I studied at the McNay Art Institute and took other private and college drawing classes utilizing live models. While working on a degree in fine arts I was offered a job at Southwest Research Institute to illustrate for medical research. In the 1980’s I taught art to children and painted stage props and murals for the San Antonio Zoo, the Sunken Gardens and the Convention Center. I worked many years in the printing industry as an illustrator and worked two years in computer graphics. With true conviction I decided to go back to freelance to paint, promote and sell my own art.

For over two years I had a home studio in Belize, Central America. It was located on a mountain side with a panoramic view of the country located next to Mayan ruins at the edge of the rainforest and near the border of Guatemala. I traveled extensively photographing the wildlife and people of Belize. The photographs continue to provide inspiration for many painting and sculpture. On a dare, I and two archeologist friends decided to visit the Mayan ruins of Ca Ha Pech. It was midnight and there was a full moon. My friends climbed to the top while I waited for their return. I sat on the steps next to the sacrificial alter; all around there was utter silence in the rainforest. My heart was beating fast as I had the feeling I was being watched or stalked. After the experience I painted the in a series of several jaguar paintings, “the Mayan Spirit”.

I’m fortunate to have friends and family that work with endangered birds of prey. This allows me to photograph a bird without disturbing it while it’s in rehabilitation to be released. Later in my studio I research the species to paint then in their natural habitat.

I try to capture the essence of a subject through the eyes, finding expression, concentrating on form, value, temperature, and then color. When painting, no matter the process, I paint with a sense of urgency and with passion. I rely on my technical ability to be there, but I don’t think about it. I like to call this “the Zone”, possibly like a runner’s high or what a musician might feel.