I was born in Preston, Idaho, and moved to the coastal communities of Southern California when I was three years old, where I studied illustration at California State University, Long Beach. I had previously studied drawing, painting, graphics, and printmaking at various colleges and universities in the area. - While attending college, I worked in the graphic and print industries for various newspaper and magazine publications such as Surfer Magazine, Motocross, Orange County Register Publications and Coca Cola. Today, traces of my printing and graphic background can be seen in my abstract and semi-abstract artwork. - As a mixed-media artist my approach and thinking is to "observe, sense, and go at it fearlessly." This is evident in much of my work, which is a blend of expressive interpretation through line and color that reflects the mood of the captured moment. - The use of vigorous lines, combined with broad color strokes, is both graceful and aggressive, flowing with the shapes to define and express them rather than replicate them. This is the basis for my work, which is frequently inspired by landscape elements. - Utility poles and lines, oil jack pumps, city streets, and shadowy tree-filled valleys are examples of images that frequently serve as the inspiration for many of my semi-abstracts. - A reflective observation of my work and its purpose is usually aroused during the creative process. I ask myself, is the work thought provoking and does it generate feelings.