I was born on April 21, 1944, in Montebello, California, and was the third of four boys. My father, Boze, was a lumber grader. He changed jobs frequently, so our family moved up and down the west coast of the United States. At one time we lived in a logging camp in the Trinity Alps. On another, we lived in down town East Los Angeles. In 1950, my parents bought a house in Marysville, California which became their home base.
My father believed that it was important for his sons to play sports and my mother had very strong political views. So conversations around our dinner table revolved around sports and politics. When Santa came to our house, he brought footballs, baseballs, mitts, and bats.
While in high school, I played football, water polo, and wrestled. My favorite sport was wrestling. I graduated from Marysville High School in 1962. After graduation I worked in the a lumber mill for a year before returned to school to study art at Santa Ana College and Yuba College. While at Yuba College, I met Patsy Lynn DeGarmo, the love of my life. In 1965 we were married. The following year we moved to Oakland, where I attended California College of Arts and Crafts.
In 1967, I left college and took a job in a machine shop. I served an apprenticeship and became a journeyman machinist. I found it impossible to focus on my family, my job, and my art, all at the same time. Since my family was my highest priority, and my job was essential to health of my family, I put my paints away and focused on my family and job.
In 1970, our son Matthew was born. We didn’t want to raise Matt in the city, so in ‘72 we moved to Oroville, California. I got a job at RCBS, a manufacturer of reloading equipment for rifle and pistol ammunition. During my tenure at RCBS I held positions as machinist, tool maker, department supervisor, engineer, and finally the plant’s Safety and Environmental Manager.
Shortly after moving to Oroville, we bought some property in a stand of pine and cedar trees. We cleared the brush and put in the utilities, and in ’78, with the help of friends and family, we built our home. Pat and I still live in our home in the trees.
In 2005, after 33 years of service, I retired from RCBS. Now I have the time and energy to devote to my painting. Back in college, when I first began to paint, I painted with oils. After retiring, I switched to acrylics. These were both slow and tedious mediums for me to work in. Then, I discovered pastels. When I paint with pastels; I use my fingers to create form and color directly on the surface. As a result, my work has become much more direct and spontaneous. After working exclusively in pastels for 8 months, I switched back to acrylics. As a result of my work in pastels, my acrylic paintings are much stronger.
Over the years, I have developed a real appreciation for people, so most of my paintings are of people. My goal as an artist is to continue developing my style and technique, and to have my work recognized in the art community.