I have always wanted to paint, even before I knew that Vincent Van Gogh was my great grand father. I just thought that I really had no talent to paint fine art images. I read several "how to" books on art but I could not figure out how to mix the paint to come up with the color that I wanted to use. After reading my foster fathers letter on December 24, 1993, I slowly decided to try to actually paint. I tried watercolors and it simply did not work out for me. The color seemed to run away before I could stabilize it. I then decided that I simply could not paint with watercolors.

I then tried oil paint. The very first painting, The Log Cabin In The Snow, was taken from an image shown in Bob Ross' book that was given to me as a Christmas present in 1994 by my wife, June. It was better than watercolor but I was using oil paint by Bob Ross. I spurred myself on to try seascapes, and at first I again used images from Bob Ross' book. Then I decided it was time to paint my seascapes from seeing the waves in front of me.

In 2000, I had a great deal of time on my hands and became depressed about the circumstances in my life at Auburn University. I could not paint anything until mid August after being successfully treated by a clinical psychologist. Painting made me feel better and I started to paint almost daily through November 2000. I learned a lot about painting that year and felt that I truly had a talent for it when I began painting the large breaking waves. I found solace in my artwork and painting actually kept me alive. I also credit God for helping me as he brought Mr. Teddy Bear, my loving kitty cat, into my life. That cat was always with me and he comforted me and made me feel better! I am now writing a book about my life and Teddy Bear is credited as saving my life when I was so deeply depressed. However, I do not miss his relieving himself on everything under the sun including my computer, paintings, TV, office furniture and many of the walls in our home! Never-the-less, Teddy was an inspiration to me and I believe that he was a saint in a cats body.

I have always been vulnerable to depression and have been told I have a split personality. When I get angry, it is very hard to control and it seems I'm just along for the ride. It totally amazes me after it is over. This split personality has only expressed itself a few times in my life and it's usually when someone has totally disappointed me to a point where it angers me. Then it just shows up. As an example, an employee actually brought it out of me in January 2006. This employee was so amazed to see the sudden turn around in personality that he hurried away. And, another employee that overheard that loud conversation I was having then left my employment the following week just so that he would never have to go through that again, even though it was not targeted nor meant for him.

After my terrible depression in 2000, the first large breaking waves that I tried to paint was a photo pictured on a calendar that I bought for Christmas in 1999. I enjoyed painting large breaking waves so much that I paint them even today. My last painted large wave is called "Looking North by Northwest, The Beautiful Washington Coast" completed in January 2006. I began painting in earnest in 2004, creating my second large breaking wave which was inspired by a scene in a book entitled "Wavescape", depicting surfing spots around the world. I have used pictures in that book and "Surfer" magazine, to help inspire me to paint those beautiful surfable waves. I have never found a picture or photograph of any image that is complete all by itself that can be "copied" exactly to produce one of my paintings. I always add, delete or change some things in every scene whether it was found in nature or a figment of someone's imagination. I do this to try to improve or enhance my painting.

I find great inspiration in creating large breaking waves from many countries. I truly believe that these waves are a gift directly from God. I cannot see how anyone can proclaim "there is no God" after witnessing one of these beauties for real! These waves are not easy for me to paint, but the inspiration from even seeing a picture, helps me to find a way to depict the image along with my added feature or features that I always incorporate.

I have also been trying to help my son, John, find his niche in life since 2000, when I purchased a dealership for him to do bathtub restoration. His business has grown every year, but it still has a long way to go for him to make a living with it alone. John has painted several pictures and he took a few art classes in college but he isn't convinced that art is what he wants to devote his life to right now.

I took one art course in college myself, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1965. The course was "Perspective Drawing", and I earned an "A" grade and had great fun taking the class. I had so much fun I really wanted to change my major from "Ornamental Horticulture", to "Fine Art", but since that would have been my 5th or 6th change in my major, I just could not bear to have to tell my foster father that I was going to change majors yet again!

In 2004, I decided to paint smaller original works and I painted about nine paintings between December 2004 and January 2005. I still was very much in love with creating and painting large breaking waves and I painted "Picture Perfect Pipe" and "Desert Point, Lombock Indonesia", that year in the 30 X 40 inch size. Just for kicks, I decided to try "Picture Perfect Pipe" in the 9 X 12 inch size, and I think that it worked out quite nicely. I cannot detail the 9 X 12 inch size paintings quite as well as the larger sizes, but I have been impressed with their quality and acceptance among local art patrons.

I have had some rather serious disappointments in 2006, starting with my kitty cat, Mr. Teddy Bear, who lived with me and June for the last 10 years. He died rather abruptly under the wheel of a former employee's SUV. Before that sad episode in my life, a business associate tried to steal everything that I owned and couldn't see why I thought that was upsetting to me! Not to mention another building contractor would not pay me for a house painting job. Before that I was ripped off by a fraudulent business in Tennessee where the owner of the business had stolen his first million dollars by selling worthless stock, he had been caught, but I could not divulge that information to the jury because it was determined that his first fraud had nothing to do with his current rip-off scheme! Needless to say, my attorney was quite busy that year !

It seems to me that the world and particularly the fine people of the United States need a good diversion from their daily encounters of con-artists and rip-off wizards. I know that now is probably NOT the time to tell people about my art heritage! I can hear it now; "just another one in an unending line". Believe me, I really cannot make up what I have told you. I tried desperately to ignore it, but it would not go away. I don't blame people for being skeptical. If someone does not believe the story about my being the great grandson of Vincent Van Gogh, I applaud them, as I too had great difficulty with the letter from who I thought was my father for 52 plus years. I have divulged this deep dark secret only to let anyone who really wants to know the truth about my genetic inheritance to know why my personality is so unique. I am the most stubborn person on the planet! Stubborn as a mule is an understatement when describing my way of life. I have not revealed my genetic heritage to help sell my paintings. In fact, I will be selling only a few originals since I love many of them too much to part with them. I wish to share my art with friends and acquaintances and anyone who needs to find something special to help them cope with current life situations. I really believe that the "Original Hand Painted Prints" are very special and look very much like the "Originals". These hand painted prints should carry the same amount of love, inspiration and dedication as any of my oil paintings. When my life ends, so will my "Original Hand Painted Prints" because I will not be able to paint over the prints, which creates their uniqueness.

Regardless of my heritage, I have proven to myself that I can paint and I really love to do it! I hope that everyone who visits my web site will be inspired by my artwork. There is hope for everyone, even for a guy who was almost not born, grew up not knowing who his parents really were, and has resisted someone telling him what to do including all the people who have served as the boss throughout life. I am now living a comfortable life, doing what I want to do, meeting people who are helpful and inspiring and sharing my innermost secrets with the world and loving every minute of it! I do hope that you have enjoyed your visit to this well designed web site created by one of the most gifted, dedicated humans that I have ever met!