Artist Bio
From childhood joy and interest to adult determination and training the road is not so different from so many other artists. Much credit must go to my parents for indulging my interest and not standing as a barrier in my development. Quite to the contrary, I was given rich opportunities along with a fair share of luck growing up. Luck came by way of wonderful art teachers in public school and Saturday classes at Detroit Institute of Arts. There is a sidebar story in all this that has to do with my poor health as a child and how it prevented me from taking part in athletic classes. That provided opportunities for more art and an interesting mix of friends. My pals were musicians, actors, dancers, writers, and of course visual artists. My childhood orientation was entirely cultural starting in the 1950s and 1960s.
Post high school I was accepted to The Art School of the Society of Arts & Crafts in Detroit. I did well, winning a merit scholarship for my work blending graphic design with fashion illustration.
I moved to Toronto, Canada after art school to apply my skills to things other than automotive-related advertising, the focus on Detroit, and that was such an exciting place for any young artist to work in the 1970s. I did graphic design and illustration for fashion, package goods, and government services like the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Now well into the second chapter of my life, and living in Michigan, I’m finally doing what my heart always wanted, fine arts. It’s not that I didn’t like my life as an applied artist, it’s that I also needed to answer a very different calling in the arts.