I was fortunate to be born in the big sky country of Helena, Montana. I grew up acquiring a great love of the outdoors. I remember my dad packing me across a trout stream on his back so we could get to the next hole. The best time to fish was always in the fall when the streams were low and clear and the autumn colors were always spectacular. Each time I paint fall aspens, many special memories come to mind. At a very young age I remember my grandpa painting pictures with oil paint and I cherish his paintings I have today. His encouragement to paint greatly influenced my decision to become an artist. Many decades ago, I met a very special friend, Robert Moore, a wonderful artist whose work I love and admire. This relationship turned out to be a real blessing in my life giving me the opportunity to study impressionistic art under his constant supervision. Developing my own concept of realism has been the most important step in creating a painting, allowing the viewer to determine what shapes are actually woven together to determine what images appear. I never lost my desire to be an impressionistic oil painter. I live in Burley, a small town in the center of southern Idaho and enjoy the close community. The beautiful state of Idaho provides me with the opportunity to fly fish many lakes and streams. Maybe one reason I enjoy fishing so much is I can enjoy the outdoors and wonder which landscapes would be the most interesting to paint next.