Various Shades of Black

Princeton, NJ is where it all began….. My mother says from the time I could hold a crayon, I was drawing. Artistic expression comes naturally. Early influence came from my sister Pat, who too is an artist, and she encouraged me to hone my gift. I attended Middlesex County College, majoring in Marketing, Art and Design. I am currently the Visual Arts mentor for the New Brunswick area branch of ACT-SO (Afro- Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics), which is a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate and encourage high academic and cultural achievement amongst African-American high school students. Working on canvas and wood, utilizing acrylic paint, inks and colored pencil, I focus on the human face layering the various colors to recreate expression, character and life. Details matter and with all my pieces, I carefully attempt to recreate the details that make each face unique. I have never encountered a dull subject and inspiration is readily available. I work fervently to create works that express my admiration for the subject matter and in doing so, I am hopeful that the gazer notices the details but also, feels…….I currently reside in Franklin Park, NJ with Angela, my beautiful wife of 30 years and our daughter, Kylie.