About:

I started painting when my parents got me an oil paint set for Christmas. I sold my first canvas – a painting of Portland Headlight - to my fifth-grade teacher for $3.00. I graduated from Thornton Academy in 1956, where I was Art Editor of the yearbook.

I studied Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic University and Civil Engineering at the University of Maine. I worked in various capacities as a civil engineer for 23 years. The last project I worked on was the LL Bean Wing at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, where I was a member of the construction management team. Because of a construction accident, I changed direction and enrolled in Penn State University’s Construction Engineering and Management program. I received a Master of Engineering degree in 1988. My thesis topic was Construction Safety. After that, I taught structural engineering at the University of Louisiana Monroe and Clemson University and pursued a PhD. In 1996, I established an engineering business in Charlotte, North Carolina that focused on construction defects and structural problems with existing buildings. I retired to Maine in 2003.

Over the course of my engineering career, when I found time, I took art courses at nearby colleges and universities. In total I accumulated 33 credit hours in drawing, painting, and sculpture. Since 2003, my knowledge of art and the skills that I have acquired have been largely self-taught. I have an art studio in downtown Bowdoinham- Cathance River Gallery

Artist Statement:

The natural beauty of Maine, coupled with changing seasons and light conditions, produce a steady source of interesting and beautiful scenes to paint. I usually work on large canvasses, using photos as references. When working on a painting, I keep in mind the importance of the principles of art. For example, I employ the principle of contrast by juxtaposing light and dark and muted and saturated colors where it’s effective to do so. Being mindful of the relationship of shapes and spaces and carefully painting details, I strive to create a visual experience that causes the viewer to pause and look at how the painting was done. My hope is that he or she will derive much pleasure from contemplating the elements – large and small - and the way they interact.