I aim to capture the tranquility of nature and invite viewers to slow down and connect with the beauty of light and shadow.  My inspiration comes from places I’ve visited across the country, most recently a wilderness area in Wyoming.  I paint representational landscapes in oils, both outdoors and in my studio.  Although painting was  my occasional hobby for many years, it has become  my main activity since retiring about nine years ago.  My training in art has consisted of various workshops, while my formal education and career was in science (first biochemical research and then environmental remediation).  My wife Jean and I have a new grand-daughter, June, born to son Luke and his wife Katelyn.  Workshops have focused on oil painting as well as water color techniques.  Instructors have included Jay Hennifer, Scott Boyle, Albert Handel, Alia El-Bermani, Marcelle Hooks, Jason Tako, Nicole Kennedy, Bekah Haslett, Chad Smith, Jim Carson, Jean Grunewald, and Jeremy Sams.  My paintings have won several awards including Second Place in the 311 Gallery Juried Show, and two Honorable Mention Awards, one at a Matthews Artists Guild exhibit, and one at a Paint-Out Event sponsored by Mint Hill Arts.  I have exhibited paintings at the Sertoma Art Gallery, the Page-Walker Arts and History Center, and the Pullen Art Gallery.  Many of my paintings will be exhibited at an upcoming show running from mid-October through mid-January at the Bond Park Community Center.