Artist Statement

 

I have enjoyed art throughout my entire life.  I remember creating art and exploring creative classes as early as elementry through high school - where I earned a certificate in mechanical drafting.  I employ those early lessons even today.  As a lifelong learner, I continued my education by completing various art, art appreciation and art history courses throughout my extended college career.

 

Relatively recently, my wife and I began to enjoy collecting glass, with an emphasis on glass from West Virginia, especially Blenko, which lead me to pursue learning how to blow glass.  I enjoy creating sculptural forms in both blown and fused glass.  I find inspiration in designs by Wayne Husted’s large architectural forms, Don Shepherd’s application of textures and Kelsey Murphy’s cameo techniques.

 

I recently rediscovered watercolor painting and am enjoying exploring the expressive opportunities of that medium. My body of work reflects life on or near the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, including sea creatures, structures and boats. 
 

Biography

 

I was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia.  Together, my wife and I raised three sons.

 

I currently live in Chesapeake, Virginia and have also resided in Juneau, Alaska; Mobile, Alabama; and Charleston, South Carolina.  When my boys were in the Scouts, another adult and I led 10 young men on a two-week trip along the Lewis and Clark Trail from St. Louis to Oregon, including a 50-mile canoe trip on the Upper Missouri River and three days in Yellowstone National Park.  In all, I have visited 38 of the 50 states.  Not including the states that I have lived in, I have been to Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Michigan, Montana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.
 

Excepting the United States, I have been to 26 countries - Albania, Antiqua, Aruba, Bonaire, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Cote I’vorie, Curacao, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, France, Gabon, Germany, Grenada, Haiti, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Sao Tome, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Yemen.
 

I still own my original GI Joe and Apollo space capsule. 

 

My favoriate rock band is The Who. 

 

"Give me oysters and beer for dinner every day of the year and I'll be fine"  Jimmy Buffet, Tin Cup Chalice, 1974 

 

Awards and recognitions

 

• Workforce Solutions Award, 50th Annual TCC Student Art Show
• Directors Award, 49th Annual TCC Student Art Show
• Honorable Mention, 2020 Virginia Water Resources Research Center photo contest
• Appeard in TCC's 2019 Three Forty art magazine
• Highlighted in TCC's Channel Marker magazine
• Recepiant of the Secretary of Transportation's Award for Achievement in Workforce Diversity
• Acheived Competent Toastmaster certification

 

Relevent Education and Taining

 

• Associate of Arts in Studio Arts - Tidewater Community College
• Graduate Certificate in Brewing Science - Auburn University
• Master of Science in Management - Troy University
• Bachelor os Science in Liberal Studies - Excelsior College