was born in New Haven, CT of working-class parents during World War II. My father served in the US Army and I first met him when I was three years old. Although poorly educated (my mother graduated high school, my father had an eighth-grade education), both parents were artistic and created works for their own satisfaction.
Even before high school, I had read a great deal about the classical civilizations and studied the European philosophers from Kant to Sartre. I entered high school shortly after Sputnik had shocked the world and the US was anxious to produce scientists and engineers. My aptitude in math and science being quite high, I was subsequently pushed in that direction.
I entered Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a major in physics, but quickly discovered that the total immersion in math and science left me feeling unfulfilled. I dropped out shortly after Thanksgiving break and took a low-level position in a New Haven bank to give myself time to build up some savings while deciding my next move. I soon became a computer programmer at the bank and entered a local college.
While at New Haven College (now University of New Haven) I entered a Humanities class taught by a Yale postgraduate student. Claude McNeal helped me discover a love of art and language. With his aid, I transferred to Columbia University majoring in English Literature. During the next four years I wrote numerous poems and aspired to write plays. I later turned to painting as the proper mechanism for my creative urge.
However, in the end I stayed with the computer field, which dominated my time and energy. Only after retirement did I finally return to painting. I experimented with various approaches, and eventually found the right avenue for me, which I describe in my artist statement and personal artistic vision.