About Me

  I grew up in Northern Utah and spent most of my time outdoors, fishing, hunting, hiking and exploring.  If I wasn’t outside soaking up the lessons provided by Mother Nature, I was inside drawing.  My mother painted when she had time so before long I had a paint brush in my hand.  She made sure I had what I needed for supplies and my Grandfather, her dad, made sure I had plenty of inspiration.  We fished the rivers and lakes, canoed the duck marshes, we hiked the Wasatch and Uinta Mountains and spent whole summers living in a Teepee in the high country.  

  I studied Fine Art at the University of Utah with an emphasis on painting and drawing.  It was at The U that I was introduced to the that vast world of historical and contemporary art.  It was like being a child again but instead of learning about the natural world, I was learning about the greatest pieces of art created over hundred of years. I learned that nature and art have been intertwined since the beginning of time and that connection between the two is where my passion lies.  My instructors in the art program included Sam Wilson, George Dibble, Anthony Smith, Maureen O’Hare Ure and Doug Snow.  The lessons from these instructors/artists, fellow students and others still help guide my work today.

  During and after University I worked for several years at Western Rivers Flyfisher, a small fly shop in Salt Lake City.  There I learned about the fly fishing business, taught fly tying, casting, fishing and guided.  There was a fantastic harmony between art and my life in fly fishing.  I had a lot of time to paint in the winter months and did a lot of illustration work, mostly for fly fishing books and magazines.  Eventually I started a manufacturers representative agency that covered Utah, Colorado and New Mexico working with several major fly fishing brands.  This was a great experience but it left little time for artwork and kept me away from my family more than I cared for.  My creative outlet during this time was drawing in sketchbooks. I created simple nonrepresentational designs based on balance, variety of shape and form, contrast, line quality and interesting mark making.  In my landscape and sporting art, these sketches provide invaluable lessons that I put to use regularly.   

  Those experiences have led me to being a dedicated, full-time artist. My home and studio are in Mountain Green, Utah, where I live with my wife Brandie, our 3 daughters, 2 dogs and 6 chickens.