I have always wondered where my reverence for the aesthetics of the Asian Arts and Asian Cultures originated. Why, as a kid, I was eating raw fish with chopsticks when the rest of my family members were eating fish sticks with forks. I looked longingly at the Geisha dolls in their glass cages in the gift shop on the Monterey Pier, while having no interest in Barbie. Though I had little exposure to Asian culture, I was just drawn to it. In my quest to learn more about the Asian arts, culture and philosophy, I have discovered the complex and the exquisite; the subtle nuances of the Tea Ceremony, Ikebana and Calligraphy, the elegance of the Geisha and the graceful flow of the Kimono. These are but a few manifestations of the Asian Arts that demonstrate the highest level of refinement of those endeavors. I am fascinated by the singular quality of these art forms and continue to study them for a greater understanding of the sentiment and emotional quality they invoke in the observer. When I became aware of the European Arts and the paintings of the Old Masters, including Velasquez, the Renaissance artists , Rembrandt and Sargent, as with the Asian Arts, I was captivated by their beauty and the skill required in their creation. For the past 20 years I have studied and trained to achieve the skill and knowledge of the Old Master’s techniques and methods so that I too might create something of enduring value. My intention is to capture the essence of the Asian aesthetic in the most reverent manner using the timeless techniques of the European Old Masters. Combining my deep interest in the Asian Arts and Culture with the determination to achieve the expertise to create museum quality paintings has led me here.
I have been a student of John Frederick Murray for over ten years. He is a master artist and art teaching master, having taught drawing, painting and the techniques of the Old Masters for over thirty years at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and in his own school, the John Frederick Murray School of Art. He taught the “Learning from the Masters” program at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for many years.Through his art training I have learned the methods of the Old Masters, their techniques and the body of knowledge that has been passed down to their students for generations. He has enabled me to create museum quality paintings and I will forever be in his debt for sharing his unique insights into how great paintings evolve from an idea to an elevated work of art.
Prior to working with John Frederick Murray, I studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago where I learned to copy the works of the 17th century Dutch Painters.
Master of Science Degree – University of California at Berkeley
Bachelor of Arts Degree – University of California at Berkeley