TIMELINE BIO

  • 1952 – Born in Ames, Iowa
  •  1969 – Stone Memorial Art Scholarship- awarded to one graduating art student from Ames High School each year
  •  1970 – Enrolled as an art major at Brigham Young University
  •  1971-1973 – Spent two years in Thailand as a missionary
  •  1973 – Returned to B.Y.U. to continue art education- years later receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree
  •  1974 – Opened a business making and selling gold and stone jewelry- painted portraits on the side
  •  1974-1977 – Painted more and made jewelry less- had first experiences with suppressing urges to follow patterns in early stages of oil paintings
  •  1976 – Traveled to East Coast and to California to visit museums and galleries- enjoyed works by old masters, but was taken by works of Abstract Expressionists
  •  1977 – Sold jewelry business to paint full-time
  •  1977-1980 – Painted portraits full-time
  •  1978 – Married Carolyn
  •  1979 – First son Marc born
  •  1980 – Sculpted first figurative bronze pieces
  •  1980-1984 – Continued with sculpture work- started doing figure paintings- continued to suppress urges to paint abstract paintings
  •  1982 – Second son Brad born. Built house and studio in Pleasant Grove, Utah
  •  1984 – Third son John born
  •  1985 – Moved to Scottsdale, Arizona- continued to do figure paintings. Traveled to New York City to visit museums and galleries – was again moved by works of Abstract Expressionists, particularly the work of Willem deKooning, Jackson Pollock, Fannz Kline and Clifford Still
  •  1987 – Traveled again to New York City- saw the Frank Stella Retrospective at The Museum of Modern Art- enjoyed his new work and was impressed that he had made such a dramatic change mid-career
  •  1989 – Father died. Painted first, heavy abstract paintings, “Watch me Run” and “Monkeys”- started spending as much time as possible on new direction in painting. Moved to Darien, Connecticut- commuted to studio on LaFayette Street in SoHo, New York City. Painted New York People series
  •  1990 – Moved to St. George, Utah- felt that though New York was exciting, perhaps it wasn’t the best place to make art- still don’t know if I left New York to run away from something or to find something
  •  1991 – First one man show of abstract paintings at Dixie College in St. George
  •  1992 – After years of not believing, finally left Mormon Church. One man show at Chauser Galleries, Scottsdale, Arizona. Did performance pieces with Chuck Alvarez and Tim Weisberg in Los Angeles, California
  •  1993 – Traveled throughout Europe visiting galleries and museums. One man show at Bianco Gallery, Scottsdale Arizona. Started painting murals for casinos in Las Vegas and around the country. Moved to Las Vegas, Nevada- continued to work on abstract paintings. Sculpted head of Sphinx in front of Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas
  •  1997-1999 – Several home shows for paintings, held in homes of patrons- sold several pieces at each
  •  1998 – One man show at Panini Gallery, Las Vegas
  •  1999 – Two person show at Fielden’s, Las Vegas. Divorced
  • 2002-2008 – Opened and operated gallery in downtown Las Vegas, exclusively dedicating himself to his abstract paintings
  •  August 2008 – Moved into a larger live/work loft in Southeast Las Vegas
  •  (to be continued…)

Artist