I believe my strong desire to paint and my love of hiking go hand-in-hand I want to share my hiking experiences, particularly in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, with others through art. I attempt to paint the scenes in such a way as to invite whomever is viewing it along on my trek: to take a break from the hectic life so many lead, today.

I was born and raised in New Jersey. I started to draw at an early age. Mother told me I started while in the playpen: not just scribbling, but drawing. My Grandmother on my Mother's side of the family taught me how to paint using oils. She had retired from a previous occupation, and became a landscape artist. I consider her to be my greatest mentor.

I completed my first oil painting while in the 6th grade. I was part of a hand-picked art class in my senior year (1966-1967) at Roselle Park High School in New Jersey. Our task was to paint a mural for the high school cafeteria (I don't know if it is still there, or not.) I enlisted in the Navy after high school, and my Mother and Step-Father relocated to California while I was away. I moved to California upon my discharge from the service. Since I had been in Naval Aviation, I got into the Aviation industry. I hired into Rockwell International in 1973, which later sold our division to Boeing a few years ago. An auto accident in 1977 that virtually nearly killed me caused me to look at things in a different light. My passion for painting was rekindled and I realized that spending all of my time (even weekends) at work building airplanes wasn't healthy. I married Paula in 1978 and she's been an encouragement and hiking companion for over 25 years now. She brings her 33mm camera with her, and we use it to take reference photos for my artwork. We have 5 children. When I am able to retire from Boeing, I hope to become a full time artist.