My Journey
From the beginning of grade school in Pittsford, NY, I drew stuff. I enjoyed making flip-page movies and classmates would often request drawings from me. Also excelling in math, I always expected to become an architect.
Then, at 16 years and halfway through my sophomore year, my father declared bankruptcy and we moved thirty miles east to Newark, NY. My older three siblings left home for work or school, my mom struggled through medical ailments and was often away. My younger brother was boarded in a Rochester support center for children. I enrolled in Newark High School.
With my dad working to make ends meet and never enough food in the house to satisfy my growing appetite, I turned all my attention to school. Most notably, I began staying after hours in the art classroom of Richard Hawver.
Over the next two and a half years, Mr. Hawver would stay as long as I stayed, connect me with older student artists and introduce me to a wide range of artistic methods and techniques. Ultimately I would graduate in 1974 as Mr. Hawver’s 30th national scholarship winner taking the coveted A.K. Oliver, the Hallmark Award and having my portfolio of work displayed in New York City.
Still aiming to be an architect, I headed out to Arizona State University. While architecture offered exciting design challenges, my passion for art grew stronger.
So I transferred from Arizona State University to the Cleveland Institute of Art. Needing to support myself, I chose a major in illustration graduating in 1978.
My initial jobs included working as a graphic designer for ad agencies, fashion department stores and as an art director for a promotional publication. During this time period, I met my wife, Elaine, married her and enjoyed a three month honeymoon in Europe where we visited many art museums and I sketched daily.
In 1983 Elaine and I moved to Honolulu for me to work on a master’s degree. Unfortunately the University of Hawaii went on strike. So instead I created art in our apartment on the same work schedule as Elaine
I also exhibited between 1984 and 1986 with paintings in several national shows and with two solo exhibits in Rochester, NY.
In 1987, I began 32 years as an owner of Archer Communications. Originally, with an emphasis on graphic design, the company evolved into a marketing communications firm. In my free time, I continued to draw, paint and sculpt, constantly envisioning ways of joining two and three dimensional elements.
In 2019, I retired from Archer. My passion for art had been simmering for years. Now I am focused on combining pictorial and sculptural art methods to create what I call “sculptorial” art.