I have a BFA in fine art from Morehead State University located in the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Eastern Kentucky. It was there I continued to fuel a love of nature that began as a small child growing up in a very large family in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. I was the 15th of 16 children in my family. Needless to say, the hills that surrounded our home provided a welcome sanctuary of solitude from a very busy household. It was in those hills that I would draw or paint on any scrap piece of paper I could find.
After graduating from college I worked as an art director in commercial printing companies and then moved on to more art directing and marketing in consumer package goods companies. I finally made it back to my first love, creating art, five years ago when I began working with digital images. I taught myself how to use the software to create unique, painterly images from one or more of my original photographs.
My traditional painting and drawing skills come into play in my choice of subject, composition and color. The fact that I am self-taught on the computer side of my art keeps my work from being as high tech as some digital works can tend to be. My great respect and love of French Impressionism, Matisse, Van Gogh, Monet, has left its imprint on my work and continues to guide my selection of subject matter and the use of hand applied brush strokes in some images.
