I'm supposed to write an "Artist Statement" to describe myself as an artist, but I stink as a writer. My wife was a English major in college, so maybe this is a task better left to one more gifted with words and spelling. I can draw and paint better than I can tell you about my art. Basically, I've been drawing and painting since early childhood. Some of my most vivid memories are drawing for the praises of my preschool teacher. I use to draw her portraits using all black crayons, thus causing her to believe I was a depressed child, although gifted in art. In second and third grades, I had a private art teacher whom I visited every week and completed many large paintings, one of which is framed and still hangs in my parents bedroom. After moving back to Birmingham from Decatur, I tried a few more private art teachers, but didn't find "the one", so I never took any art lessons from then on. I've continued to draw and paint ever since. Throughout the 1990's, I sold over 300 pen and ink portraits. I spent the entire 1990's without touching a paint brush and focused mainly on pen and ink skills. At the beginning of 2000, I started painting again and haven't stopped since. The number of completed paintings is unknown, due to a failed marriage and the destruction of numerous canvases.....many of which were never shown to anyone. I kept them for myself only. My own art therapy, I guess. Currently I am remarried to an incredible, supportive art loving wife, and the paintings are continuing faster than ever. 2008 was the first year I've publicly shown my paintings in various art shows around the southeast. I displayed about 20 paintings at 5 different shows and had great success. I won second place in the Montevallo Arts Council show and another second place at The Scottsboro 3 Arts Club show. Now I've even ventured in pottery and some glass melting.......
Who knows where this will take me.......
Sigmund Freud
