Senior art exhibitions honor families

How did you get involved in or interested in art?<strong>How did you get involved in or interested in art?</strong> How did you get involved in or interested in art?

We lived out in the country and I was rather lonely as a child. We didn’t have very much, but I could always find some paper and pencils laying around to create drawings. My first interest in art started during those early years.

Did you have good art teachers or a good art program while you were in elementary school?<strong>Did you have good art teachers or a good art program while you were in elementary school?</strong> Did you have good art teachers or a good art program while you were in elementary school?

No. We had roving art and music teachers back in the 1970s at my elementary school. They taught at all of the schools in the district. We had art classes every other Monday for around 30 minutes.

What college did you go to and what was your major?<strong>What college did you go to and what was your major?</strong> What college did you go to and what was your major?

I graduated from (State University of New York at) Fredonia with a degree in drawing and then received my (Master of Fine Arts) from the University of Colorado at Boulder in painting and drawing.

What is your favorite type of art to work on?<strong>What is your favorite type of art to work on?</strong> What is your favorite type of art to work on?

I’m an oil painter working in a maximalist-pop-neo-expressionist-pattern style modeled after some of the West Coast La Luz de Jesus artists.

What are some of your best or favorite pieces of art you have made?<strong>What are some of your best or favorite pieces of art you have made?</strong> What are some of your best or favorite pieces of art you have made?

My ink drawing on glass that was 163 feet in length. It wrapped around the gallery a few times and contained a lot of pop culture imagery. My word paintings were also a hit, and I really enjoyed creating my 60×60-inch series of antique store finds.

What inspires you when creating art?<strong>What inspires you when creating art?</strong> What inspires you when creating art?

I’m a picker. I have been since the late 80s and I’ve accumulated quite a bit of collectibles through the years. Tin toys, Mexican masks, vintage games, paint by numbers from the 50s and 60s, antique store finds; anything that has great color and age to it.

Why did you decide you wanted to teach art rather than strictly be an artist?<strong>Why did you decide you wanted to teach art rather than strictly be an artist?</strong> Why did you decide you wanted to teach art rather than strictly be an artist?

As a college student myself, I was tremendously influenced and helped by a number of truly amazing faculty members who taught art. Having been inspired by them, I wanted to help a future generation of students in the same way that those instructors helped me.