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I was born in Kansas City, Missouri.
In 1956 I enrolled in the Kansas City Art Institute’s BFA program.
That proved to be one of the smartest things I’ve ever done in my life.
I was introduced to the magical world of visual arts.
And, I met Deanne, the girl who was to become my friend, my wife and my life partner.
I also met some of the brightest and most frustrating people I’ve ever known.
We were all comrades on the ship we sailed through those exciting times.
We pretended to be what we weren’t while we searched for what we wanted to be.
We shared the joy when we occasionally caught a glimpse of what our future could be.
At the Kansas City Art Institute I wasn’t taught to do “ART”
Instead, I was encouraged to ask questions . . . about everything.
But more importantly, I was encouraged to find the answers for myself.
I learned the difference between just looking and actually seeing.
I learned the importance of identifying a problem before trying to solve it.
I experimented with a number of visual languages.
In those four short years I discovered the excitement of exploring the creative process.
And, to identify that elusive thing called excellence.
Over the years I’ve learned to appreciate excellence although I rarely achieve it.
The closest I come is in the ephemeral areas of concept and integrity.
But, since I believe that my next effort will be my best, I will continue to pursue excellence.
Although I believe that I’ve learned more from my many failures than my few successes.
Thirty-Seven years ago we moved our family to Sedona.
We created two galleries, Gifted Hands and Isadora, which we operated for thirty years.
Many of the sales in Gifted Hands and Isadora were of our work.
Sixty years have passed since Deanne and I began our journey of exploration together.
It has been, and continues to be, a wonderful life.

Fine Art Gallery