First and foremost, I am an artist. Since my graduation from Pratt Institute in 1956, I have been awed by each and every facet of the art creation process. I also love to share my knowledge, and inspire a love of art (through drawing lessons, oil painting techniques, etc.) with others.
 

I teach realism, and my art courses are based on the classical training tradition of European art schools. I don’t believe in shortcuts or “tricks” when learning to draw. I believe in making the picture pleasing to the eye, as well as a record of a very specific time and place. This applies to drawing, sketching, oil painting, and other art styles.
 

I strive to paint what I see, leaving enough evidence of a human hand or eye to tell the viewer that I am there. Had John van Druten not said it first, I would have coined the phrase ''I am camera.”
 

As someone who has an appreciation for oil painting, and someone who offers art instruction, I am strongly influenced by:

• Jan Vermeer for his composition, lessons in light and shade. See also:  Another Vermeer link.

• Edgar Degas for his unique compositions, viewpoints, cropping, reality, use of photos as references, his perspective, character study, color, and application of paint.

• The Luminists for their ''discovery" of luminescent light effects in nature. Click on these links to view artwork by the Luminists.

• Rene Magritte for his series "The Majesty of Light" showing its various characters in a single painting.

• The Ash Can School for freeing subject matter.

• Edward Hopper for bringing the illustrator's eye to easel painting.

• Norman Rockwell for perfecting realistic oil painting.

Many students want to see my oil paintings. I often hesitate to show them because, when you are learning to draw, you want to develop your own style, not copy that of another. However, if you would like to view my oil paintings you may click here:
More of My Paintings
Here are a couple of my paintings with more shown on the page linked above:

If you would like, you can view some of my qualifications and accomplishments below.

Qualifications and Achievements

• Pratt Institute graduate, BFA in Illustration and Painting, 1956

• (Returned to Pratt as Assistant Professor at both Brooklyn and Manhattan campuses and as Associate Professor, Fairfield University, 1980's)

• Taught drawing, painting, and illustration at Famous Artists Schools, Westport, Connecticut and in private art classes

• Oil painting covers for Fantasy & Science Fiction and Ellery Queen Magazine, others

• Founder, Visual Pad Art Studios, Inc., 57th Street, NYC

• Founder, Launching Pad Studios, Inc., Madison Avenue, NYC

• Founder, Life-Like Portrait Studios Inc., Fifth Avenue, NYC

• Founder, Planograms Plus Inc., Madison Avenue, NYC

• Founder, Cyber Portraits (Web site portrait studio)

• Lectured worldwide on computer graphics and planning of retail stores:
       - Australia
       - Holland
       - Belgium
       - France
       - South Africa
       - In the USA - Palm Springs, California; Javits Center, NYC; and to Japanese        business groups, NYC

• Historical painting commission for pharmaceutical company

One Person Shows

• 21 of my paintings, Gicleés, and one sculpture were shown at the Woolley Gallery at Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL from October 1 to November 1, 1999

• Nexus Gallery, NYC, Solo Room, May 18 to June 12, 1999

• Chapman Gallery, Cazenovia, NY, November 2-24, 1998

• Exhibit in Cazenovia College, Chapman Gallery, November 1998

Group Shows

• Hiram Blauvelt Museum, Oradell, NJ, 1999

• Waitz Gallery, South Miami, Florida, April 1998

• Pleiades Gallery 16th Annual Juried Show (Mr. Ivan Karp, Director of O.K. Harris Gallery, Juror)

• Nexus Gallery, NYC, September 1998

• Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut, 1960

Paintings in Collections, a Museum and a Boardroom

• Private Collection, Lloyds Neck, L.I., NY

• Private Collection, Sedona, AZ

• Private Collection, Atlanta, GA

• Private Collection, Sedona, AZ

• Private Collection, Harrisburg, PA

• Museum of Gastroenterology, CA - (8 painting commission on the history of gastroenterology)

• Private Collection, Piermont, NY

• Private Collection, NYC, NY

• Schiffenhaus Packaging, Boardroom portraits of founding CEO and current CEO

Other Painting Related Projects

• Portrait Commissions

• President of Life-Like Portraits Inc., NYC, over 500 portrait commissions

• Web Portrait site, Cyber Portraits

Art Teaching

• Famous Artists Schools, Instructor

• Assistant Professor, Pratt Institute and Fairfield Universities

• Private painting classes

• Lectures in Australia, Holland, France and Belgium on computer graphics