I was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon but my parents moved to Montana when I was two. I may as well have been born here since my father grew up in Ovando, Montana on a ranch just a few miles from the Bob Marshall Wilderness. As a young teenager, I worked summers on the ranch and I would often hike back into the mountains while fishing or berry picking. I was enthralled by the incredible scenery and wildlife that was so much a part of Montana.

After the service, I went back to the University of Montana and studied art, with two years of independent study under the renowned artist, Walter Hook. I was offered a teaching job at a Montana high school in art, but decided that I wanted to try free lancing my art.

I have always been into the wilderness experience from hiking, mountain climbing and photographing all the wonderful places around me. Even now, I have at least fifty painting ideas in my mind waiting to come to life on canvas. Such is the creative mind, to have more ideas than one can complete. I started hiking as a young man gathering ideas for paintings and enjoying the serenity of the wilderness. I still hike today with the same goals in mind, and I feel fortunate to be surrounded by five wilderness areas and numerous wildlife refuges where I live. When I take trips into the wilderness, I get energized for painting. Every trip is an outdoor experience, and I am always looking for new ideas to paint. I have thousands of slides that are reference material for subject matter.

I feel strongly that we must preserve our wildlife for future generations to enjoy and as preservation of our planet. I support the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and their important work in keeping a healthy environment for our wildlife in the Northwest.

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

Henry Ward Beecher