Raleigh Street Gallery

I started drawing at an early age. From the beginning my intent was always to make my drawing look real. Although I won first place in the first grade "art show," my drawing of Abraham Lincoln fell considerably short of realism at the time. My eye and technique have now developed to the extent that my paintings are sometimes mistaken for photographs, which to me is high praise. My father was an Air Force pilot for the first five years of my life and then was hired to fly for Trans World Airlines, and I had already begun to have a great interest in flying and airplanes, which is almost exclusively what I would draw.

During my school years I continued to draw just for fun, but when I had a choice in which classes to take I always leaned to the science track in preparation for a flying career, which was my overriding goal. Art was so low on my priorities that I got to my last semester in high school and still needed an arts credit to graduate.

In college I started right away with aviation ground school and basic flying, fully intending to major in aviation. When it was obvious the flight program was too full and I had difficulty even getting on the flight schedule, I finished my private license requirements with a flight instructor outside of the school staff. Knowing that a private pilot's license and a college diploma would get me into the Air Force flight program, I switched my major to graphic arts and printing, and ultimately commercial art because the artistic requirements came very naturally to me.

During my junior year in college I got a call from a Marine Corps recruiter asking me if I would be interested in flying F-18s for the Marine Corps and I got involved in the no-obligation Platoon Leaders Class Program. Our second day at Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia, we had a short physical to ensure we were up to the rigorous demands of the training and a Navy doctor told me I was medically unable to fly for the Marine Corps, but could continue the commissioning training and go into another specialty. I didn't want to burn any bridges, so I stayed and graduated ten weeks later, then immediately started the process to decline the commission I would receive on my college graduation day. It took almost my entire senior year to accomplish this task, but it was finally done and I could then talk to the Air Force about my original plan of flying with them. Marine OCS was the hardest thing I've ever accomplished in my life and I have the utmost respect for all who wear the "Eagle, Globe and Anchor."

I was assigned an Air Force Officer Training School class date in January following my college graduation and was commissioned on April 1, 1983, married my sweetheart in the Kansas City, Missouri area on April 10th and started Undergraduate Pilot Training in Lubbock, Texas on April 16th. It was an intense year, but I earned my wings in May of 1984 and started training for my first assignment as a T-38 Instructor Pilot right there at Reese AFB. I progressed through the squadron jobs and was the senior T-38 Class Commander when I left for my follow-on assignment to fly C-130s at Pope AFB in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I've included more details of my time in the Air Force below for those who might be interested.

Over the years I would draw from time to time and handle the art end of special projects that came to various teams I worked with in the military. Then in the spring of 2000 a neighbor, who is a very talented high school art teacher Maria and I had become close friends with, convinced me I needed to take a painting workshop in Flemish realism the local art club was sponsoring. I attended the workshop and, as she suspected, it ignited the dormant artistic talent in me. The subjects of my paintings reflect who I am and where my interests lie; intense patriotism for the United States and aviation. My flag series entitled "Fabric of Our Freedom" depicts the various banners that have marked our progress as a nation and currently define who we are. Through the military flags I want to personally thank the brave men and women of our military, past and present, and their families who have served our great nation. My family has invested heavily in the military with my father, sister, brother-in-law and me all serving a combined 46 years in the Air Force. We know the sacrifices that are made every day by these families and we are so thankful for their dedicated service.

Concerning the Confederate flags I have painted, I do not desire to make any political statement, but rather capture another part of the history of our country, albeit an unfortunate era. Men on both sides fought valiantly and died for their beliefs, and all eight of my flags of the civil war era honor these soldiers.

Although new to aviation painting, I am as much excited about this direction as I am the flag series. Having drawn airplanes all of my life, it is so exciting to be able to add color to capture the graceful lines and historical shapes of aircraft, and their purposes and missions. I am beginning this series with my personal experiences, and those of my family and friends, and I will then expand the topics into the wider world of aviation history.

Thank you for your interest in accompanying me on this journey.