My parents were French Canadian, and I was born shortly after they immigrated to northern Ohio. They were both very artistic, in their way, and loved beauty. So I grew up in an environment where art, and music, was valued. I’m a northern Ohio boy, through and through, but have enjoyed pursuing the best training I could find in various places – Boston, Minneapolis, Washington DC, and all over Europe. I’ve called Milford home since 1989.

From age 14-24, among living artists, I had three main mentors, painters Allan Banks (b.1948), R.H. Ives Gammell (1893-1981) and Richard Lack (1928-2009). Those were immensely formative years I spent under their instruction. In art history, I have been inspired by the work of Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, John Sargent, Mary Cassatt, Carl Larsson, Willard Metcalf among many others – a seemingly endless cast of notable artists. Really, my favorites fluctuate, depending on the day of the week.

Striking a proper balance between doing those works required to make a living, and those that allow for personal expression and artistic growth.

Typically, those portrait clients with whom I have worked are leaders in their respective fields. Thus, I have the honor of spending time with very accomplished individuals, many of whom share their perspectives and life experience.

There are many different and quite personal responses to visual art. In the case of representational art, a powerful and highly sensitive observational skill – focused on the essential and the poetic – results in paintings that ideally transport the viewer out of day to day concerns. Perhaps they are thus introduced to aspects of the visible world they have ceased to notice or never had fully appreciated.

It is always most appreciated when I encounter genuine art lovers and collectors that get what it is that you’re after as a painter, and get great satisfaction from seeing your work.

I have several portrait commissions on the horizon that will require a bit of travel. When those are completed, I look forward to figurative and landscape painting which is always waiting in the wings. A new, purpose-built studio with a large, north-facing skylight await the next phase of my career.

This is not always an easy task these days. I’ve long since discovered the value of trying to keep an open mind, staying curious, and keeping up with new and fascinating developments in science. These can then act as catalysts for further creative exploration.

It’s a fairly constant challenge. Inevitable lulls in business offer the best opportunity to reconnect with the fun stuff and more experimental impulses.

Milford is a charming, very vibrant, creative community. There is sure to be abundant evidence of this at Art Affaire!

Beyond what I may, (or may not) be personally attracted to, the big question is “how successfully did he or she achieve their objective in the creation of a given piece?.”

Seek the best training you can find, be disciplined, and learn your craft.

Always try to hold back some of your very best work over time, so that when opportunities arise to exhibit, you’ll be confident of what you have entered. Strive to make the best, most professional presentation possible.