"I can remember being encouraged to be creative from an early age. My mother is a painter and a photographer; she is probably my most ardent supporter as well as most vocal critic. She has pushed me to move beyond comfort and has encouraged me to explore both media and subject in order to allow my art to progress. I owe her a great deal of thanks in helping to shape what you see before you.
I did not grow up wanting to be a painter. I am a musician; percussion is my primary instrument. I have been drumming since around age 10, and it has been what drives me since then. I teach, and drumming pervades my classroom. I perform, again feeling most comfortable when drumming. From the symphony to a jazz combo, rhythm drives me.

What you see before you is the central point of my life as a drummer and my desire to create visual beauty. My painting started when I dipped some sticks in paint and played a drum beat on a canvas. From here, my exploration into the mix of sight and sound grew. Sometimes I hope to capture the feeling of music, while other pieces are an attempt to capture the motion of drumming.

I grew up in central Ohio. Moving to Texas was life changing. Not only has my life gone in directions I could not predict, but I have had the opportunity to love a new area. Included in this show are works from my “silhouettes collection.” With these pieces, I am bringing in some of the sights of my new home. I have become fascinated with the animals of the southwest, particularly the buffalo. I have also found beauty in the old water towers scattered throughout Texas. The sky is immense here, and I have attempted to capture some of the many moods nature can display."

The West End Studio is on the first floor of The Kemp Center building located at 1300 Lamar, Wichita Falls, TX 76301.  Call for further information: 940-767-2787 or email galleries@artscouncilwf.org.