I am mostly self-taught and started my career in Rahway, New Jersey, in October of 1966.
I was interested in drawing and painting since I could remember. The colonial paintings were inspired by the fact that my ancestors were innkeepers of the Terrill Tavern which still stands in Rahway, and they were also carriage and sled builders (I’m the 11th generation).
My wife Lori and I used to own and operate a gallery in Red Bank that we have sold some years ago. We sold the paintings I created, along with prints, figurines, sculptures, antique toy reproductions, custom-made ships and Byer’s Choice dolls. In the past I have also worked for the FBI making drawings of crime scenes.
My style is realistic, but the subject matter is unlimited. I love both a variety and a challenge. Revolutionary, Civil War, landscapes, still-lifes, portraits, Surrealism, Aviation, Nautical, Westerns, wildlife, and florals are a few of my specialties.
I have painted miniature oils, two series of Christmas plates for the Bradford Exchange, and drew comic books for two years with Gold Key Comics. Some advertisements I did include the cover for “Old Spice” cologne, the logo for “Sleep Doctor,” and a cover for “Finley” tea. I painted murals for Prudential Insurance in Newark, Rahway Savings Institution (Battle of Spanktown), and the restaurants Barbary Coast, Brass Bucket, and Al Dente Restaurant in Piscataway.
Some of my paintings can be found in the homes of playwright Norman Wexler of “Saturday Night Fever” – the movie, actors Buddy Hackett and Robert Mitchum. Two paintings can be seen on a wall in the movie “Death Wish” starring Charles Bronson. One collector has broken all of my sales records by purchasing 92 originals.
What I really enjoy is to create something from a blank canvas, an image that will either make someone feel happy like my Dickens paintings, or very emotional painting like my Civil War veterans. The most important part of a painting is the idea, the spark, and the gathering of information that gives it its authenticity. Composition is next in level of importance, followed by application. It’s possible to imagine ideas that no one has thought of before.