I’ve always been interested in art.  My brother was a professional photographer, and he gave me my first camera when I was about 12.  I loved the artistic aspects of photography, and it became a life-long hobby.

 

We lived in Los Angeles County which has some wonderful museums, including the Getty, the Huntington, L.A. Museum of Art, and the Norton Simon Museum.  My wife and I visited them all as well as taking a couple of trips to London and Paris to see their great museums.  Upon retirement, my wife and I moved to Lindsborg, Kansas.

 

Lindsborg is a town with a strong connection to the arts.  There is a dedicated art museum featuring the works of Swedish artist Birger Sandzen. Artist Lester Raymer’s work is displayed in the Red Barn Studio.  Bethany College has a large art department, and a number of independent artists reside in Lindborg.

 

They have an active art’s council that I joined, and later becoming its president.  It was then that I decided I wanted to take up painting, but it wasn’t until we moved to the Vancouver area that it came to fruition.

 

Once here, and at age 73, I decided to get serious about learning how to paint.  Sharon Whyte, an art instructor and SWA member gave semi-private lessons.  After the first session, I was hooked. I joined the SWA and the OSA, taking additional art classes. The learning continues.

 

The journey for me into the art world is an incredible experience.  Today I work primarily in acrylics, oil, and pastels.  My only regret is that I didn’t take up painting years ago.