Vaught gallery

I have drawn for as long as I can recall. My brother tells me that when we were small, I was content to sit with paper, pencil and crayons, while he would fuss for me to play with him. Most of our evenings were spent in the TV room, so eventually a desk was moved in there for me. Nothing on the screen that so engrossed my family was even a distraction for me as I labored over the newest castle or any of the many doodles my papers held.
From these beginnings, I developed a fascination for etchings and lithographs, which led me to working in pen and ink This was my first medium. I sketched anything that would stand still, and I sought to learn everything I could about contrast, texture, and perspective. At the University of Florida I discovered the importance of these design concepts to architecture , and completed a degree there in Architectural Design. Shortly thereafter, I moved to Montgomery, Alabama, worked as an architectural intern, and went on to receive an second architectural degree from Auburn University.
I became an artist largely due to three people. The first was Sambo Mockbee, an Auburn professor who inspired me to live creatively. His philosophy on life and on the “architect-as-artist” inspire me still. He challenged me ” you keep talking about color in the Alabama landscape, do something about it”. The Second was Sally Jirik, she gave me my first three tubes of paint and a brush and said “Do it!”. The third was Sally Hubbard, a friend and confidante, who game me extraordinary encouragement and helped strengthen my resolve to “paint what I want to paint”.
I now work almost exclusively in oil. Learning technique and method from Roger Dale Brown, of Nashville, and Scott Christensen of, Victor, Idaho, I do both plein air and studio work. My paintings are found in the private collections of Gov. Robert and Dianne Bentley, Energen Corporation Birmingham, Alabama, and Capell Howard PC. Montgomery, Alabama.