In February of 1992, I began painting as a result of watching the artists on Public Broadcasting television stations. I had never had a lesson and had never studied art in any form. The closest I came to art was coloring in coloring books as a child. But all that changed one day when I said "I can do that" while watching Bob Ross on TV. I bought a painting kit and just started painting following the instructions in the book.

Today I teach oil painting through the Halifax Community College located in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. I actually teach in a small town named Littleton, NC. Twice a year for a six week period students are taught a new painting each Wednesday. They come in with a blank canvas and leave with a finished painting. I have been doing this for about 5 years. We have great fun and create a masterpiece each week (smile).

Paintings are hanging in the Lakeland Cultural Arts Center in Littleton, NC; The Rose Cottage Creation and The Raven Restaurant. In the past I have had paintings hanging in the Gazebo, the Patchwork Palette and the Consolidated Sales Craft Store.

I have participated in the local arts and crafts festivals in Gasburg, VA, Roanoke Rapids, NC and Littleton, NC. For nearly three months I painted one day a week at "Never Say Goodbye" a shop in the McPherson Mini-Mall in Littleton, NC. During the Library Book Fair I was commissioned by Mrs. Jerry Jones of Panacea Springs to paint the waterfall on her property. The painting now hangs among her collection of art work. Many of my original oil paintings have become special gifts to my friends and family members.

To date I have sold over 40 paintings. I paint for pleasure not income. I paint in my home and view the lake while doing so. As you can see I have no particular subject in which I specialize. I paint what I feel like painting that particular day. Sometimes it comes out pretty and sometimes it doesn't. But it is the enjoyment I get out of it and the enjoyment I receive from giving the paintings to friends that makes it all worthwhile.

I like to think of myself as a painter not an artist. I paint from instructional books not from the head. Maybe that will come with time. I hope you have enjoyed this page as much as I have enjoyed doing it for you. You will see included here a portion of the lake where I live. I live at #87 and if you know MsCrappie of IRC, she lives at #18.

I am indebted to gryphon, of #dl-bar, for her help in improving the scanning of my photographs.

I would like to thank John Crowhurst, a friend I met through IRC, without him, it would not have been possible.