My life has always been influenced by Water. My youth was spent on inland lakes in Michigan and my early memories are of the intrigue and smell of old wood boats and older outboard motors (mostly Mercury/Kiekafer). As I slowly gathered a collection of Thompson Boats over the years, I began to see them,(as well as an old red canoe and an assorted grouping of antique chairs), as a basis for my art. Including these props provides me with a segue for adding intrigue and emotion that can draw the viewer to grasp a past memory or help them connect to a lifestyle long gone.

I believe that the creativity of life is communication, and the composition of an artistic narrative, when done with emotion, leaves the viewer moved with a dream like consciousness. My creativity as an artist comes from my many life experiences over several decades.

The influences that motivate me to create my images come from where I live, my travel experiences, the history of our nation (good and bad), and, of course, the friends and family near and far. The geography of the soul ties it all together.

I could include here the awards I’ve received, the successes I’ve had, or my formal and crazy education at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, but these accomplishments can never outweigh the joy I feel when an individual embraces the emotion in my work and selects my vision to include on the wall of their personal world. If my images strike an emotional chord with you, then that is the ultimate award for me.

If you’re in the Hiawatha Forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, keep a look out, you may find me dragging an old Thompson cedar strip row boat through the two track trails seeking out the emotion of water and light.