about the artist

Born September 3rd 1957 in Montreal Canada. Speak French, Spanish, and English. Moved to Southern California in 1969. Involved in theatre at early age and worked both onstage and backstage. Achieved early graduation in high school and several awards in drawing and architectural design competitions. Left home at age 15 to pursue arts career and worked as plumber, chimney sweep, flower truck delivery, hardware store sales, architectural designer/planner, petro-chemical system designer/project manager, radio on-air talent, graphic designer, interior designer, and after school programs educator. 

My only sister, 4 and a half years my junior, required a radical bone marrow transplant from me in 1986, to defeat acute myolitic leukemia. Unfortunately she was not able to recover and died that July. Time does not heal all wounds.

I have severe obstructive sleep apnea. Surgeons tell me I have a 50/50 chance of living through each night. 

I have been developing the TLK Life Skills and Arts Center in Old Union MS. see threefoldotus.com for details on this arts studio/exhibition/teaching center for arts promotion, development and residencies. Selected Exhibitions 2006 ** More than 20 books and catalogues developed for POD publishing at www.lulu.com/theway ** Developed Philosophical and Martial Arts teaching and support facility at Threefold Lotus Kwoon ** ARTLAB - Year-round rotating exhibitions and dialogue ** Renewed search for representation 2005 ** Upstream People Gallery - Juried Exhibition, Omaha, NB - Juror Larry Bradshaw, Professor, Curator ** BangArts, Jackson, MS - Figure/Abstraction - Curated by Bart Galloway ** 4th Floor Gallery - FACE Time - Cornwall on the Hudson - Group show ** ARTLAB - Foot works - New York invitational - Solo 2004 ** ARTLAB - Gallery Exhibitions, Tupelo, MS – Random – Solo ** Starting Over- Gallery, Tupelo, MS – Random – Group ** BangArts, Jackson, MS – Solo ** ARTLAB - Tupelo, MS – Move and Grand Opening- Solo ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Tupelo, MS – Solo 2003 ** ARTLAB - A public Art Forum, Tupelo, MS – Random – Group ** Public Mural - Jefferson Place Restaurant, Tupelo, MS – Random – Group ** Cassettas Gallery, Tuscumbia, AL– various works– Group ** Galloway Gallery, Tupelo, MS – strong force / week force– Solo ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Tupelo, MS – Politics - Solo ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Tupelo, MS – a quality of breath– Solo 2002 ** Starting Over Coffee House Tupelo, MS – Random – Group ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Tupelo, MS – Processing Man– Solo ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Tupelo, MS – One Year Later– 911 anniversary ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Tupelo, MS – Open Studio – Solo 2001 ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Irvine, CA – Fertility – Solo ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Irvine, CA – Pencil & Paper – Group ** RCA (Russetta Contemporary Art) Tupelo, Ms – Open Studio – Solo 2000 ** Webster Gallery Santa Ana, CA – The Thought Accelerator – Solo ** Webster Gallery Santa Ana, CA – Drawing & Influence – Duo ** Webster Gallery Santa Ana, CA – Requiem for Art – Duo 1999 ** Webster Gallery Santa Ana, CA – Nasty Habits, video installation – Solo ** Webster G

artists' statement

The Provocative Image I like to coax people into participation in conversation. Whenever I hear conditioned responses, I cringe. I try to create images that encourage the viewer to bring their own experience into the dialogue. 

"Real" Art is about ideas. Ideas resist stasis and mutate with the times and the human condition. The basis for all human thought and ideas is humanity itself. The figure, the human form, the "body" is therefore the vessel of creation and progenitor of all ideas. The body is always present in some form, no matter how abstract, in my works. 

I am a physical painter, using large scale as part technique to liberate my gestured strokes and expressive forms. I use Acrylic paint in a way that is fast and immediate, allowing me to produce hues and mixtures uncommon to acrylics. A college professor argued unrelentingly that a work he saw of mine, even upon close inspection, had to have been created in oils. He is wrong, but added to my confidence in my control of my medium. I am not afraid of pure color, nor am I attached to it. My painting is driven by the ideas approached in each canvas. Sometimes a soft muted tone is called for as in my Apnea works, at others, loud bright and even rude associations aid in the questions and opinions contained. As a philosopher, teacher, artist, I believe Artists are firstly keen observers, then commentators on the whole of human experience. Anything less is decoration and irresponsible.