For me, nothing beats a Jersey Shore boardwalk – Mack & Manco’s Pizza (now Manco & Manco’s), Johnson’s Popcorn, hitting a few rides, catching a movie at the strand… Could be content people watching on the boardwalk for hours.

My wife and I made our first trip to Paris December of ’03. On our first day in Paris, we practically devoured the city – walking from one end to the other in our attempt to make sure we didn’t miss anything. It was cold and bone-chillingly damp – we froze our butts off. The Eiffel Tower was more awe-inspiring than I realized it would be. The upper platform of the tower was barely visible through the low-ceiling – it seemed to be reminding us of how tall it really was – the low ceiling that day emphasized it’s height. It was both beautiful and humbling. Cruising past the tower, we stumbled upon an antique carousel, it’s warm lights a seeming oasis in the cold. The contrasts of the image – the carousel against the Eiffel Tower struck me. Warmth and cold, light and dark, familiar and unfamiliar. There were people all around us – on the street, near the carousel – yet we felt like we were the only people in the world taking it all in. I knew I needed to capture those contrasts on canvas.

Painted this one of Sarah when she was 7. Try to go to at least one Penn State football game (“We Are!…Penn State!”) a year. Decided to have some father/daughter time, so Sarah and I went alone. Cruised around the tailgates before the game. Snapped this shot of Sarah. Right around this time, had seen an exhibit of Andrew Wyeth’s work. He has a painting that’s just a picture of boots in an ochre-colored field. This shot of Sarah reminded me of that painting. Liked the angle of her body in the shot. Over exaggerated the aerial and linear perspective. Nutzed around for a while with the facial details to get her likeness – pleased with how this one turned out.

We take an annual trip to pick apples. Snapped this shot of Em at the end of the day. In the original photo, the trees are all dark green. Wanted to warm up the pallet, so chose instead to make the leaves red – painted this to compliment the colors in our living room. Liked the pinks in the wheel ruts on the trail. This is the first painting I completed when I picked the brushes back up.

Completed this painting in an oil painting class in college. Assignment was to paint bottles. Even though this painting was completed many years ago, it stands up next to my still lifes today. This is the first painting I completed where the paint performed the way I wanted – figured out how to use turpentine to thin paint and get my preferred consistency. To this day, I use very little stand oil – the oil used to bind the paint before it’s stuffed in the tube is enough oil for me.

Alright. I know the title’s tacky. But, there’s a story behind it. Named this painting before I began naming my paintings. Had this early painting hanging near the entry in my house. When visitors noticed it, one of their first questions was “what’s it called.” I didn’t have a title nor had I considered giving it one. To be goofy and to keep visitors off balance, I called it “Stacey’s Butt.” Have tried to rename this painting, but the old name has stuck.

Stacey (my wife) and I have been together for years. We started dating during the Summer between our Freshman and Sophomore years. We went to different schools, ones that were about 4 hours apart. I couldn’t afford to talk on the phone, so we wrote letters to each other almost every day. So grateful we did. It’s like having a journal of our early years together. Used to put little cartoon drawings on the envelopes and in the margins of my letters to her. Sometimes, I sent drawings. This self portrait is one I sent to her.

Stacey (my wife) and I have been together for years. We started dating during the Summer between our Freshman and Sophomore years. We went to different schools, ones that were about 4 hours apart. I couldn’t afford to talk on the phone, so we wrote letters to each other almost every day. So grateful we did. It’s like having a journal of our early years together. Used to put little cartoon drawings on the envelopes and in the margins of my letters to her. Sometimes, I sent drawings. This portrait of Stacey is one I completed and sent in one of those letters.

In high school, was in an art class where we had to complete a sketch a week. This is one of the drawings completed for this class. The original photo for this drawing came from a Life magazine coffee table book. A high school buddy leant me the book – I cut the photo out of the book. Sure I was real popular with his mom.

In high school, was in an art class where we had to complete a sketch a week. This is one of the drawings completed for this class. Love Bowie. This is the first portrait I completed with colored pencils.