Born and raised in the south, I have been a painter for over 30 years.  Even as a child I remember drawing on anything I could get my hands on from paper to cardboard.   I used pencils and pens, crayons, watercolors and tempera paints. 

      From the encouragement of my family to get a "real job" I  turned my passion for painting into a Bachelor's Degree in Art with a Master's Degree in the teaching of art.   This led to 13 years as a middle school art teacher. 

      I firmly believe that if you can teach middle school art, you can do anything and I took that belief and applied it to myself over 20 years ago.   That's when I left  teaching to become a professional artist.   At that time, I had been doing odd jobs during summer vacations painting murals and faux finishing furniture when my artwork began to grab the attention of individuals and galleries from Chicago, Illinois to Naples, Florida.  

     As I sold more and more of my pieces (during one year I sold close to one painting a week, sometimes delivering them while they were still wet on the canvas) I was forced to take a closer look at the business aspect of my work.   

      I opened my first art gallery in 2004 in Memphis, Tennesse.   Here I found a new passion in  the promotion of my own work and the ability to promote other artists.   To date, I have given opportunites and advice to  over 50 local artists, many of whom were just beginning their careers in art.  

      From painting and promoting my own artwork to working with others to learn and promote their own artwork, life is gratifying to me in all of its' artistic aspects.