In the late Eighties, I was working on my BFA at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago taking a class in Pascal programming thinking that some computer skills would be helpful in earning money while I painted. During the course of this effort, I happened across the “Mac Room” and having investigated the goings-on there, I realized that this was the future of graphics—and it was fascinating. While I was writing numerous lines of code to cause a series of lines to dance across a screen with an Apple IIg, students using the Macs were drawing fanciful geometries on a screen with a mouse. Just as Steve Jobs had returned to Apple from Xerox PARC several years earlier to take Apple in a whole new direction, I signed up for a Mac class and took myself into a whole new direction as well. This was before the Mac even offered a color screen! Since those days, I have scurried through many years of developing computer graphics skills. As new software was released, I took hold of it if appropriate to my graphic endeavors, learned it and utilized it.
When an amorphous phenomena called the internet stirred to life, I investigated as I am apt to do and built my first web site while working at Lunardi & Associates in Chicago. A primitive concoction indeed, but with some experience in programming from a few years prior, I took to HTML rather quickly. Soon thereafter, Lunardi closed its doors much to my chagrin.
While looking for another art director position, I freelanced. This went well for me for quite a while: I continued to grow my digital publishing skills while probing digital animation and taking some associated video production classes at College of DuPage. Then in 2000, policies changed and funding assistance for my venture into digital animation came to an abrupt halt. Several years later with animation hopes all but dashed, not having a background in business and my family growing, I realized my future would be best served by attaining steady employment—which I did.
I have had the opportunity to grow in significant ways since then, but always in want to write new chapters in my graphic arts career.
The Painting
I have painted since high school. But my work took a significant step forward only when I moved to Tulsa in the early Eighties. I had time to myself to concentrate on painting and made the acquaintance of another artist with whom our common interests compelled us to work with fervency.
I painted whenever possible over the years finding another milestone in my work when becoming acquainted with a group of artists in Joliet. I had known about traditional methods of oil painting that dated back to the Renaissance from my much-loved art history classes, but which seemed a passé subject in the studios of SAIC. Nevertheless, having taken a class in Technique Mixte under Patrick Betaudier in Joliet, an entire new avenue opened up to me. I have completed several works using the method he taught me and continue to strive in that manner.
