Beginnings and Beyond Most of my life as a painter has been devoted to "contemporary realism." I paint in acrylic, oil, and watercolor. Many of my works are painted outdoors in the landscape (plein air) as field studies or completed pieces, depending on time. I've been experimenting recently with a newer technique which is really not "newer" in the sense that in my early years of painting my application was more designed. It's been fun working the design technique into realism so you're likely to notice a mixture of painting styles during this experimental phase of my work. A good example of this approach is the painting "Ice Fishing" (see the "Works" section of this website). I've been fortunate in receiving three Best of Show awards in "Brushstrokes," an American Cancer Society Benefit show, unfortunately no longer extant; Four purchase awards in the "Great Eight," the Kansas Water Color Society's eight state annual exhibit, winning Best of Show in July, 2004, with my acrylic painting "Sunset Thunder," judged by John Salminen; and won Best of Show a second time in the Great 8 November of 2007. That painting, "Twilight Winter," can be seen in the Works section of this website. The KWS Great Eight has now gone national and is sponsored by the Wichita Center for the Arts.  I'm a signature member of the  Kansas Watercolor Society and the National Small Oil Painters and "Ice Fishing" was recently judged a Finalist in the Fine Art Views monthly competition. It seems folks want to know such things but I often wonder just how important they are. When I write about myself I think, "Do I really have to do this?" but if I don't, well hey, people want to know so here it is...