My web store features greeting cards suitable for the holidays or year-round, in addition to limited edition reproduction prints and one-of-a-kind mixed media paintings.

My artwork is also available through two galleries in the Dayton Region: the Dayton Visual Arts Center and the Link Gallery; more information is available on the Exhibits page.

When people first see my artwork, I am usually asked, “How did you do that?”

For as long as I can remember, my work has eluded easy categorization. For example, when I exhibited “Making it Better" in 1983, people were overheard saying, “That can’t be a pencil drawing! Pencil isn’t that black! ...and besides, it looks like a photograph!” Well, in fact, anyone can draw deep, rich black lines with the right drawing paper (cold-press illustration board), a Sanford Ebony pencil, and a lot of arm strength for the strokes — and dark blacks naturally cause an image to look more real.

When I set out to create what I see in my mind, I use whatever materials I find most effective. I often use materials in unconventional ways by mixing different media together. For example, I use paint, but I combine oils and acrylics. I also use ink, canvas, a variety of papers, and some technology. That last word, “technology,” is loaded in many fine art circles, where it becomes a code-word for removing or short-circuiting the human element from the artistic process. Unfortunately, the reality is that most artists paint on canvas that was manufactured by a machine and paint that was mixed in a factory by other machines. Technology is only a tool and I use many.

As a result of using so many different media and materials, my artwork usually falls into the broad visual arts category of two-dimensional “mixed-media” artwork, though a few works like Rose Petals are almost three-dimensional.

Despite my use of many different tools and techniques, all my work is created by hand — my hands. I do everything so that my customers know that they buy my work, not work created by assistants or other third parties. I use materials with archival quality so that the work will last many lifetimes. For my paintings, I assemble canvas stretcher frames by hand and use keys so that the tautness of the canvas can be preserved; once the painting is complete, I use multiple coats of UV-resistant varnish to protect the paint and ink from fading and abrasion. For my reproduction prints, I use all acid-free papers and mats. Even the tape and storage bags are archival quality. This extra attention to archival materials significantly increases my cost to create artwork, but the result is work that will exceed the life span of my customer . . . and I like to know that the emotional impact of my artwork will not fade due to cheap materials.

Using a variety of high-quality materials and media also allows me to experiment and create multiples of my artwork. In other words, when I create a painting like “Country Store, USA,” I produce the work in various sizes. For example, the photo on this web site is 40 inches wide and 60 inches tall; I have created other versions that were smaller and fit better on the wall space available in most homes. I apply paint differently on each version, trying different effects that vary color and texture. No two paintings are the same. Prices vary by size, rising with the size.

I also sell reproduction prints of my artwork. Unlike many other artists, I produce these prints myself — that is, I print each one and I inspect each one. I own the printers and I designed the prints and the process for producing them. I pick the paper and the mats.

I also produce inexpensive blank note cards of my artwork, that is, I design and print each one. The note cards are priced to be an affordable alternative to mass-produced cards sold by big retailers. Photos of the cards are found on the Store page.