I am a self-taught portrait artist living off-grid in the Finger Lakes region of New York. My interest in painting and drawing portraits began in the 1990's and so did my small farm and growing family. They provided a lot of  inspiration and were some of my earliest subjects. This time was also spent studying art techniques from an expanding book collection and developing my personal style. Over the years, painting became my main focus and my lifelong dream of building an art studio in the woods was realized in 2018. 

   Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, one of my most prized possessions was a big book of Norman Rockwell paintings. It introduced me to art in general and to types of faces I had never encountered in the mountains where I lived. I was fascinated by the way he could tell stories, convey deep emotion or make you laugh using art. It was powerful magic and I was smitten. My artistic calling continues to be painting people and animals so I guess that allure hasn't worn off.