Bio Page

About Me

(who else would it be about, right?)

I was born sometime in the middle of the last century in a small town in eastern North Carolina. I shan't bore youwith such cliches which evoke nostalgia for some imagined simpler time, which of course, it was not. Suffice it to say that I had a normal enough childhood for a kid born into a military family during a time of sweeping changes, social, technological and everything in between.

For as long as I can remember I have been drawing. I was told that when I was four years old, I scrawled something I saw on the television onto the coffee table in the living room, prompting my parents to put me into school. By my reckoning, I attended 11 different schools before graduating high school.

With all that moving around, I tended be something of a loner. Rather than become some kind of sociopath, I read a lot . Everything from Greek and Norse mythology to the modern mythology of comic books. I was fascinated by stories of larger-than-life figures doing heroic deeds, though there wasn't a lot which reflected my own particular cultural perspective. Hence, I started to create visions of the fantastic with a "flavor", be the setting some far-flung future or some past of the imagination.

I continued to draw and paint and learn, taking the usual art classes and winning such recognition and awards that a bright talented kid might. I had a good teacher or two along the way. Thanks, Mrs. Staffon, for believing in me... Incidentally, I still have the photocollage I did as a class assignment back in 1969.

As fate would have it, I went off into the world, spending a time at Macalester College. Minnesota didn't seem such a bad place. I spent the next several years there, working a "real" job or two, before a friend got me to volunteer at a community center in St. Paul. At the Inner City Youth League , I was at various times artist-in-residence, gallery curator, instructor and heaven only knows what else. I believe the greatest reward was showing kids (nowadays they'd be called "at risk") that they could do something creative and lasting in spite of having been told that they didn't have what it took by the regular school authority types.

It was a great time, though I probably didn't realize it then. Working with some of the most talented , creative, and conscious individuals I've ever had the pleasure to know, I had the good fortune to explore areas I hadn't even considered, while winning awards for painting at various festivals featuring community-based artists from all over the Midwest. Who'd have thought a bunch of largely self-taught guys would kick ass and take names like we did? Jack Richardson.. Alvin Carter.. If you see this, I have to say that I owe you guys a debt of thanks. I learned so much from you guys. about life as well as art.

After that, I spent a few years freelancing before running off and "joining the circus", as in the Navy.

Yeah yeah. I know.... seemed like a good idea at the time. And so I spent 10 years helping make the world safe for...er... somethin' or other. Got to go to exotic locales ,meet interesting people (and not kill them), and even managed to do some art thru it all.

Since leaving the military, I have been mainly working on such projects as tickle my fancy at any given time between doing what it takes to keep body and soul together. Most of my pieces are within the realm of sci-fi and fantasy, though I can go where the spirit takes me. Call me artist, illustrator or whatever (I've been called a lot worse things). The label is unimportant. What matters to me is that the work gets done. And that people appreciate what I do.

It's been a bumpy meandering path which has threatened to take me away from my creative pursuits on more than one occasion. It's now time to do the Joseph Campbell thing and follow my bliss.

So there you have it. A bunch of stuff has been left out, but this is the Readers Digest version of my bio, after all....

For a look at a sort of pictorial RamStar timeline click the button below.



About Me (who else would it be about, right?) I was born sometime in the middle of the last century in a small town in eastern North Carolina. I shan't bore youwith such cliches which evoke nostalgia for some imagined simpler time, which of course, it was not. Suffice it to say that I had a normal enough childhood for a kid born into a military family during a time of sweeping changes, social, technological and everything in between. For as long as I can remember I have been drawing. I was told that when I was four years old, I scrawled something I saw on the television onto the coffee table in the living room, prompting my parents to put me into school. By my reckoning, I attended 11 different schools before graduating high school. With all that moving around, I tended be something of a loner. Rather than become some kind of sociopath, I read a lot . Everything from Greek and Norse mythology to the modern mythology of comic books. I was fascinated by stories of larger-than-life figures doing heroic deeds, though there wasn't a lot which reflected my own particular cultural perspective. Hence, I started to create visions of the fantastic with a "flavor", be the setting some far-flung future or some past of the imagination. I continued to draw and paint and learn, taking the usual art classes and winning such recognition and awards that a bright talented kid might. I had a good teacher or two along the way. Thanks, Mrs. Staffon, for believing in me... Incidentally, I still have the photocollage I did as a class assignment back in 1969. As fate would have it, I went off into the world, spending a time at Macalester College. Minnesota didn't seem such a bad place. I spent the next several years there, working a "real" job or two, before a friend got me to volunteer at a community center in St. Paul. At the Inner City Youth League , I was at various times artist-in-residence, gallery curator, instructor and heaven only knows what else. I believe the greatest reward was showing kids (nowadays they'd be called "at risk") that they could do something creative and lasting in spite of having been told that they didn't have what it took by the regular school authority types. It was a great time, though I probably didn't realize it then. Working with some of the most talented , creative, and conscious individuals I've ever had the pleasure to know, I had the good fortune to explore areas I hadn't even considered, while winning awards for painting at various festivals featuring community-based artists from all over the Midwest. Who'd have thought a bunch of largely self-taught guys would kick ass and take names like we did? Jack Richardson.. Alvin Carter.. If you see this, I have to say that I owe you guys a debt of thanks. I learned so much from you guys. about life as well as art. After that, I spent a few years freelancing before running off and "joining the circus", as in the Navy. Yeah yeah. I know.... seemed like a good idea at the time. And so I spent 10 years helping make the world safe for...er... somethin' or other. Got to go to exotic locales ,meet interesting people (and not kill them), and even managed to do some art thru it all. Since leaving the military, I have been mainly working on such projects as tickle my fancy at any given time between doing what it takes to keep body and soul together. Most of my pieces are within the realm of sci-fi and fantasy, though I can go where the spirit takes me. Call me artist, illustrator or whatever (I've been called a lot worse things). The label is unimportant. What matters to me is that the work gets done. And that people appreciate what I do. It's been a bumpy meandering path which has threatened to take me away from my creative pursuits on more than one occasion. It's now time to do the Joseph Campbell thing and follow my bliss. So there you have it. A bunch of stuff has been left out, but this is the Readers Digest version of my bio, after all.... For a look at a sort of pictorial RamStar timeline click the button below.