I love painting.  I love being a painter and a member of that  family of artists, present and past, who have struggled for perfect artistic expression.  It can break my heart and heal my heart.  It can calm me and make me crazy.  I'm  satisfied and worried all the time.  I'll tell you, there is nothing better than this thing that I do.

I consider myself a contemporary realist painter.  Contemporary because I'm still breathing and realist because you can recognize my subjects.  I was born in the Bronx, New York on January 11, 1946.  I was a small kid and not very attentive at school.  While my big brother Lawrence was both studious and athletic, I was good at only one thing, drawing.  As this was the only thing that brought praise, I did it all the time.  Of course, practice makes perfect and I became quite good at copying nature.  I would spend hours drawing, when I should have been studying I suppose.  

When it came time for High School, I was relegated to attending a "public" school as my grade point was not impressive.  But, I did take every art course offered and continued to improve my skills.  Actually, the school I attended had a good art department and I did learn much there where i many not have acquired many skills had I gone to a "good Catholic school".  

By the time i was ready for college, college was not ready for me.  I had to start at a community college because of that pesky grade point thing.  I was fully intending to pursue art as a career but my studies were interrupted by the Viet Nam war.  If there is anything that will get you in the right frame of mind for improving your education it's the service!  Upon my discharge I was able to land a position as an apprentice commercial artist but this was really not where I wanted to be.  I was ready to return to college, and I did on the GI Bill.  By this time I had a wife and child so I had to do my schooling during the day and drive a cab at night.   

I began my formal Art training at CCNY.   I was very fortunate to have studied with a number of accomplished Artists and National Academicians.  I had access to the Academy by invitation of my mentors and, there, I was able to observe great painters at work.  My biggest influence was Joseph Solman, the great Expressionist painter, who became not only my teacher but also my friend.  He, along with Rothko and others, launched the movement known as "The Ten".  I spent a lot of time with Joseph, in class and at his studio, learning about art and life.  I miss him.  

It was during this time that I was awarded the Silver Medal of the Royal Society of Arts of England for my drawing and painting.