Welcome to my online gallery! Make yourself at home and get lost within my visions of the ocean and oceanside world.

My love of the tropics was instilled within me at birth. Born in Key West, Florida, I was exposed to gentle trade winds, aquamarine water and swaying palm trees at an early age. But the island lifestyle was short-lived. My dad was a Navy chief, and our family soon moved to Virginia Beach and has been here ever since. Here I may have had to give up palm trees, but I love still being surrounded by surf and sand.

I discovered art at an early age and often impressed my teachers with my drawings, even if some of them were doodles done when I should have been paying attention. My parents enrolled me in the Old Donation School for the Gifted and Talented, where I would spend a few hours each week honing my skills. During my teenage years I discovered acrylics with the help of a private tutor. I've grown to love the medium and have worked with it nearly exclusively for several years.

In the mid-90s I made my first trip back to Key West, and it awakened a  love affair with the tropics that I didn't know I had. I’ve always loved the beach and ocean, but didn’t paint them much until after going back to Key West. When I got home, it was like something clicked in my brain. Now I can’t imagine painting anything other than the beauty of the ocean and beach environment.

My paintings range from realism to surrealism and a little bit of abstract thrown in with the common thread of the ocean environment. In my realistic work I often try to have a “you are here” perspective. It invites the viewer to sort of step inside and enjoy the view. When I take a surreal approach I try to weave in recognizable elements in way that bridges reality and fantasy. Details so often catch my eye and an entire piece could be inspired by the movement of water in a wave or the markings in a whale’s tail.

I've been fortunate to have traveled to several tropical locales—including the Florida keys and the aforementioned Key West, the Dominican Republic, the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Brazil. And I always come back full of inspiration and visions of the locales that I just visited. I wish I could travel more, but when I do, the places and experiences stay with me forever giving me instant inspiration when I think about them.

In my free time I also love taking pictures. It’s something that I've enjoyed for years—nearly as long as my art journey. Several of my paintings have been inspired by photographs I've taken. I actually met my lovely wife thru a mutual love of the medium. It’s truly wonderful to have a creative spouse. We often get inspired by the other’s creativity and end up seeing things in a different light than we normally would. She’s so supportive and I can honestly say that I’ve seen a great improvement in my work with her by my side.

Of course, one of my favorite activities will always remain spending time in or near the water. I try to go to the beach as often as I can. When the waves cooperate, chances are you'll find me out there riding a few. It’s so cliché to say, but it’s true. When you’re out there on the ocean riding a beautiful wave or just floating between sets, you forget about all the cares of the day. Very inspirational.