W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M
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WE ARE VERY INTERESTED IN THE INSPIRATIONS FOR YOUR
PAINTINGS. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?
My ideas come from a combination of lots of child-
hood adventures with western movies and comic books,
and numerous present-day visits to ranches and rodeos.
I doodle on a sketch pad as an idea begins to appear.
I then go straight to a canvas and start to bring color to
the vision. Cowboys and horses are a fantasy to me and
playing with color is a perfect ingredient in expressing
my fantasy with the West.
WHAT IS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE FOR YOU BEHIND THE EASEL?
My painting days are usually broken up into two
three-hour sessions. I work on two to five paintings at
a time so that I can stay spontaneous in expressing my
color relationship with the subjects. I found out very
early in my career that working on only one painting
start to finish was very fatiguing; where bouncing around
my studio to paint on a variety of creations kept my
energy high. I switched from oil to acrylic because of the
oil odor and acrylic fast-drying time. e only time I still
desire to work in oils is when I paint outside where slow
drying time is an advantage.
FINALLY, HOW DO YOU RELAX AND ENJOY LIFE WHEN NOT
PAINTING?
When not painting, my wife, Irene and I hike in and
drive around these beautiful mountains and lakes near our
home. I read a variety of art-related books and go to a lot
of movies. We have a large family who live all over the U.S.
and much of our time is spent traveling to see them.
A Mountain Retreat
Dreamin'
Canyon Glow
Round N' Round They Go