On display in the hallway of Central Bank of Boone County in downtown Columbia
March 29 - May 3, 2024
Artist Statement
I am a mid to late Twentieth and early Twenty-First Century moderately realistic graphic artist. I paint in watercolor and oils from direct observation and from photographs that I mostly take myself. My work has been influenced by the Impressionists, the Post-Impressionists, the Photo-realists, the Surrealists, and an abundance of other people working in several mediums including painting, photography, sculpture, thriller novels, and all kinds of venues in this complex and beautiful world. We have in this time in history known as “Western Civilization” the almost immediate ability to share ideas and personal views and be seen and heard by other people all over the world. It has been my experience that if I work hard enough and pay attention to whatever it is I might be interested in I can usually come up with something that satisfies my sense of quality, beauty, and truthfulness and can express what it is that I am trying to get across.
We live in an age where we are constantly barraged with all kinds of information. We are expected to keep that cell phone charged and on. One would think that having exposure to all this knowledge about the past and what’s going on “RIGHT NOW!” would be a terrific advantage in making discourse of any kind about life and its various existential questions. This sometimes seems a major challenge after all these other geniuses have shared their slant on the collective consciousness. I have known of artists who sought to express themselves and wandered around in circles in a field, wondering just what they were trying to accomplish. Some made it back out of the weeds and some didn’t. The question seems to come up, “Does anybody really care?”
This always seems to be a basic question of anyone trying to be truthful with the business of self-expression and the interpretation of reality. I think if we look hard enough and long enough and have faith in some kind of divine providence we usually are rewarded with a sense of truth in our efforts and that the process and the work in this regard are worth the effort.
Artist Bio
My first introduction to making art was at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Missouri where I attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Painting and Ceramics as a double major. Later in life, I studied with Frank Stack, Brooke Cameron, and Jerry Berneche at the University of Missouri and graduated with a Master of Fine Art in oil painting and watercolor. I had a showing of my work at one of the last shows at Legacy Art and Book Works here in Columbia, called Night Visions where I sold 13 of the 16 watercolors of various scenes of neon lights in various cities in Missouri from my photos taken at night. I did a mural in downtown Columbia at a favorite Tex-Mex restaurant noted for its nighttime menu after hours called, “El Rancho”. I have been making art in one form or another for 50 years and have never compromised my talents or gotten tired of them. I am married to a wonderful woman who also happens to be my best friend. I am happy to be alive and look forward to another day every day upon awakening.
