A life spent among artists
My earliest influences were my parents — both artists — and their circle of artist friends. On summer evenings in Albuquerque's North Valley, we sat beneath a huge willow tree while the air filled with cigarette smoke and passionate discourse on every corner of the art world. Winter brought harder times: cold studios, little money, but the passion never left the room.
I remember it all so well, even before I fully understood it — the struggle, the despair, and the elation these young postwar creatives shared with one another. By and large, they were Modernists. So naturally, I turned toward the Traditionalists, astounded by the art and artists of the Renaissance. It's fitting, and more than a little funny to me now, that I've come nearly full circle — embracing both approaches, and more, in my paintings, in my art.
Today my work is primarily figurative — though really, any material is fair game if it helps translate an idea.
My mediums include oils, graphite, acrylics, earthen and fiber clays, polymer clay, and mixed media. Today, my work is primarily figurative, but the material always follows the idea, never the other way around.
Practical experience
My practical experience in the arts ranges from fine art to commercial art — beginning with a Fine Arts degree from UNM, and continuing through Emphasis Advertising Agency, graphic design, and TV commercials; layout and design for newspaper publications; building an advertising and art department for a small California newspaper from the ground up; and participating in juried art shows across Southern California before returning home to New Mexico.
Teachers & mentors
I owe so much to Frank Walker and Frank McCulloch — both well-known painters and phenomenal Albuquerque art teachers, at Valley High and Highland High Schools. Heartfelt kudos to every high school arts teacher, and every program that still makes room for visual art, music, and theater arts in its curriculum. Thank you for giving your time and expertise — you are my heroes.
For my own journey, I have to honor Roy Johnson, Betty Sabo, and O.K. Harris — successful artists in their own right who supported and promoted me selflessly. I am forever grateful. I'm equally grateful to the University of New Mexico Fine Arts department, and to Janet Abrams and Marjorie Amdur, for their willingness to challenge the status quo. They paved the way — not only for me and my two artistic daughters, but for every artist, young or old, to soar.
