Welcome!

My life began in the simplest way possible; I was born. Raised in Seattle, Washington I have loved dearly all those things most closely associated with that region- namely rain, trees and seafood. I grew up in a very excellent family of creative minds. Voracious readers and consummate communicators we all of us enjoy rainy afternoons that begin with naps and end with cooking dinner and talking.

My own life has been one of Adventure. When I was very young the adventures took place in the woods around our home, or in my own imagination while reading. After high school one of my most fervent wishes was granted when I lived in New Zealand for four months. Now I travel with a worship band all over the United States painting and drawing and meeting all kinds of people.

Oh yes, that’s an important point about me- I really love people.

You are all probably reading this to find out how I got my start at painting. The short answer is “I don’t remember!”. My Dad taught me how to draw as a kid and I remember checking out “How to Draw” books from the library. (Incidentally, I didn’t read the books as often as I just traced what was on the page.) I would say that art really took off for me when I was fourteen and I saw the first Lord of the Rings movie. The characters and images onscreen fascinated me. My first “real” sketchbook is filled with wizards and hobbits and elves. The storytelling, though, is what really got up inside of me and took hold. Words and images go together in my mind and almost everything I draw has a story.

I had never intended to be an artist. At least, not the kind that wears black tights and red lipstick and is shown in all the “best” places. Drawing and painting is like any passion- it simply flows out of oneself. A bird watcher does not know the mating calls of three hundred different species because he thinks that somehow he will turn a profit at it. The knowledge is a direct result of the time he spends doing what he enjoys. Painting is the same way with me. I would do it whether or not anyone ever bought anything of mine ever again! And please don’t give me too much credit- I wouldn’t be able to stop even if I wished to!

One final thought that I would like to fling out into the great void- If you don’t do what is in you to do creatively, it will never get done. Each person has inside of them gifts and talents and things to be expressed. Maybe you are a writer or a musician or a finger-puppet maker. If you don’t bring what is inside of your heart into existence the world will never see it. You are unique. What is in you is unique. The world needs to catch sight of it!

You will find that many of the paintings on this website are “religious” in nature or contain “religious imagery”. The terms themselves are deceptive but no matter. Yes, many of the paintings that come through my hands tie into biblical imagery. But God is an enormity and His pictures allow for many interpretations. One of my great joys is to hear what others think and feel when looking at one of my pieces. I recommend looking at a piece for a few moments before reading the description in order to form your own ideas about what you are seeing. Please feel free to contact me with any thoughts or questions that you would like to share.