My Art Studio on the Web

Hello! Welcome! Never mind the mess....I always clean up when I'm finished. Let me turn down the stereo and show you around...

Would you like to find out more about my art background? Or perhaps you'd just rather look at a few of my favorite paintings? Or just scroll down to do both.

My Art Background

As far back as I can remember, I've been creating things. I was an "only child" for the first six years of my life. Making things was my entertainment. According to my mother, I was molding people out of play-dough when I was 18 months old. I don't remember that far back! However, I do remember making paper doll figures, and their clothes, before I was in kindergarten. I can remember going to the public library and getting anatomy books when I was in preschool, so I could try drawing figures from them.

Most of my life has been spent in rural areas. I received no formal art training as a child. As a youngster I drew things to make toys for myself. As I entered my teen years, I just "doodled" to keep awake during study hall. I took my first art class at age 15, when I was a sophomore in high school. My teacher took a look at my sketches for the class and began to take an interest in my work. I did my first acrylic painting that year.

My family moved when the school year ended. My junior year, I enrolled in an art class at my new school....But it was not as stimulating as the class I had taken at my old school. I was also going through a "rebellious stage". I lost interest in art. I did not take any art classes my senior year of high school. In fact, I didn't touch a paint brush--and I barely touched a drawing pencil--for the next 9 years!!!

Later I was attending Chadron State College at Chadron, Nebraska. I was majoring in Elementary Education...but something about didn't seem to fit. One of the required courses was "Art for the Elementary Teacher". I took the course in 1990, and entered an art department for the first time in...well...several years. Our instructor had us practice basic sketching. We sketched basic shapes, forms, still lifes, our shoes, and even each other....I began to loose myself in creating something again. My sketches were at least equal to those done by the art education majors in the class. The instructor, who was the head of the art department, subtly began to recruit me.

I like art because it incorporates all disciplines. For example, to paint any animal skillfully, an artist needs to know how it's skeleton and muscles work together. I learned more about anatomy in my figure drawing classes than I did in any of my science classes! I learned more about world history in my art history classes than I did in any of my other history classes!

In college I worked with watercolor paint, acrylic paint, pottery, glass, sculpture, photography and print making. So far my favorite is acrylic painting and my style tends to be realistic. That could change, though. I’ve started exploring oil paints. I might end up liking them better than acrylics, depending on what happens. While my painting instructor said I was one of his best students, he also called me "meticulous". My favorite subjects are people, especially my family. I also enjoy sculpture and pottery, but don't have the room or equipment to indulge in them.

My favorite artists are Donatello, Michelangelo, and Durer. Although the Renaissance is my favorite era, I also enjoy Classical and Impressionism.

Back to Top of Page

My Paintings

Sometimes I kick myself for leaving art for nearly 10 years. I feel like my skills are a decade behind what they could have been. Nevertheless, I'll keep plugging along, trying to improve!

You can scroll straight through, or use the menu below, to see samples of my work.

• My first acrylic painting, which I did when I was 15 years old
• My second acrylic painting, which I did 10 years after the first one.
• One of my favorite water colors: Lilly
• A water color portrait of my Grandma Evelyn

Back to Top of Page

My First Painting

This is a picture of the acrylic painting I did my sophomore year of high school (10th grade). It is 37 inches long by 24 inches wide.

Back to Painting Menu

One of My Favorite Water Colors: Lilly

This is a picture of a water color I did in 1993. When unframed it measures approximately 13 inches long by 9 inches tall. It is one of my favorites. I gave it to my college classmates, Bryce and Shaun, as a wedding gift. The last I heard from them, in July 1997, they were saving money to start their own glass blowing studio.

Back to Painting Menu

A Water Color Portrait of My Grandma Evelyn

NOTE: My little hand-held scanner does not pick up blues and lavenders very well. Since this painting is primarily lavender and blue, it was distorted during scanning. Nevertheless, I think you will get the basic idea of how the painting looks.....

This is a picture of a water color I did of my Grandma Evelyn. I painted it in 1993. When unframed it measures approximately 13 inches tall by 9 inches wide. I gave it to my dad as a Father's Day gift. It is hanging in his home.

Back to Painting Menu

Home - Top of Page

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page