When someone picks up a brush for painting, or charcoal for drawing, they seldom think how truly ancient that process is. Ages ago some singular man or woman belonging to a hunting and gathering society wanted to connect somehow with the creatures of their times. Whether it was for religious purposes or to give them power over the beasts they pursued no one really knows for sure. But that expression and effort still exists today thousands of years later in the drawings and paintings at the cave of Lascaux in France.

The reasons for painting and drawing have evolved appreciably from those times and have grown to include the recording of nature and beauty, reportage, illustration, portraiture, social/political commentary, and just pure self expression. The process of painting, however, has remained remarkably similar. We're still taking hog bristle attached to a stick and using it to apply pigments mixed with oil to create an image.

Personally I can't tell you why I enjoy painting so much. I just know that there is something in mankind that wants to do this. His spirit and mind, eye and hands are endowed with the proclivity to create. The larger question is what does he do with that desire and capacity. In recent times the old virtues of truth, honesty, hard work, goodness, grace and beauty have been much maligned and are approaching the "endangered species" list much faster than many of the creatures our society bends over backwards to protect. Just between you and me, I still like those "old virtues" and I hope they manifest themselves in my work from time to time.

I also hope you enjoy your visit here and the work that you see. Please feel free to contact me with comments, etc. I try to respond to as many communications as possible. Enjoy!