Natural Bio

Chicago is the foundation of my artistic identity.

Growing up just outside the city and taking frequent trips in, I was shaped by its multi-cultural layered neighborhoods with people of wildly varying visual characteristics, the expanse of the Lake Michigan waterfront, and the tension between grandeur and grit found in its world-class architecture and chaotic streets.

Early and continuous exposure to museums (particularly the Art Institute of Chicago) and an abundance of galleries instilled in me a deep appreciation for both historical and contemporary art, establishing my visual language in structure, variety, and exploration. Chicago is an endless source of inspiration.

My move to Sarasota, Florida to attend Ringling College of Art and Design marked a pivotal shift. The intensity of the light, the saturation of color, and the exotic offerings of the tropical landscape expanded my sensibilities. Where Chicago offered a large dose of industrial-like mood, gritty texture, and earth tones, Florida introduced contrast, rhythm, and vibrancy.

Over 15 years working in commercial photography, while focusing on building my visual painting style in Florida and starting to exhibit there, these elements became ingrained in how I view and interpret the world.

Having been back in the Chicago area since the early 2000s, my work continues with an overlapping of these two environments- Midwest frankness and Florida abundance. The bulk of my attention remains on working simultaneously on paintings and monoprints.

However, I recently retired after twenty years of teaching art courses and I am creating a new series of photography work. I draw from the subdued, industrial tones of my Midwestern roots while
integrating the luminous color and dynamic patterns influenced by my years in Florida.

This duality—between grit and vibrancy, structure and fluidity—drives my practice and continues to shape my evolving visual language.