My formal studio space is small, but that is just how I like it because I am surrounded by my materials and art supplies. I like to paint under artificial light because I find it to be a consistent enviornment in which to work, regardless of the time of day. When I want total peace and quiet I work here. (Note: I also paint in another part of the house (see pictures at bottom), but its usually busy because the family spends most of their time there.) I have another space where I assemble and package my Giclee reproductions.

The formal studio is not just for me. Everyone in my family loves to create art and in this room you will find materials and supplies for just about every medium. My wife loves pastel and watercolor. I love oil painting, graphite, and pen & ink. Our daughter loves colored pencil, marker, oil paint, and mixed media.

The thinking space is my favorite part of the studio. I love painting landscapes in the style of the Hudson River School and Victorian era artists, and this room is authentically decorated in the style of that time period. My artworks are hanging on just about every available inch of wallspace. Some are completed, some are in-progress, and some have not yet been started (you can see the white canvases mounted in frames).

This is also the room where I keep my reference library of books and my laptop. I can sit in this room for hours, researching through my books or on the Internet. This is a really great room for hanging out and I often get inspired for new works while I'm sitting here. The nice thing about my painting supplies is that I have a very small setup... so I sometimes bring my easel in this room and paint. Plus, I like the mood better in this room because it gives me a sort of old-world feel that compliments my painting style.

While my thinking room is important, traveling outdoors and viewing various landscape scenes is a large part of my creative process. I am on a never ending quest to understand nature so that I can better capture it on canvas. Cloud patterns are another element that I study when outdoors. The nice thing about photographing clouds is that they come to you. Much of my cloud reference material was captured from our front porch, and my wife, Jennifer, is the source for most of my cloud arrangements. The entire family goes on what we call "business trips" to parks, rivers, lakes, and other scenic spots around Connecticut to photograph the landscape. When back in the studio I use computers to digitally edit and archive the photographs that I think will be useful in future paintings.

Most of my paintings are not truly complete without the critique and input of my wife. She has a good eye for detail and has sent many of my paintings back to the easel for some touch-up work. I love getting feedback from others and I attribute a large portion of my personal growth as an artist to the feedback that I receive.