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When I was very young, my father had a serious illness which kept him confined to bed for many months.  During that time we kept each other company for many hours drawing pictures.  Actually, my dad drew most of the pictures, especially pictures of Mickey Mouse and other newly created Disney characters.  This was my introduction to art.

When I was in the eighth grade I encountered my first Guidance Counselor.  When she asked me what I wanted to do, I didn’t know.  Then she asked me what did I like to do?  I replied, “Draw pictures.”  She put me in art class and it became my major for the next four years.

When I finished High School, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew what I liked to do, ‘draw and paint pictures’ so I entered Kutztown State Teachers College in PA for become an art teacher.  After a year I dropped that idea and became a Liberal Arts Major at the just opened C. W. Post College, graduating in their first graduating class.

I still didn’t know what to do!  I went into the family restaurant business, got married, adopted three children and after almost ten years decided it was time to do something else that didn’t require working weekends, holidays and nights.

So, I went back to school and became a School Librarian/Media Specialist.  I worked in an elementary school in Island Trees, Levittown for close to thirty years, simultaneously working half time as a children’s , adult services, audio visual and whatever librarian in various public libraries in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Twelve years ago, I retired from the public sector and spent a fantastic year as ‘Chef Don’ doing cooking demonstrations and programs for children and adults at the public library.

The following fall I took a position as visiting professor at the Palmer School of Library and Information Science, Long Island University followed by a year as Administrator of the undergraduate program and then as Director of the School Library Media Program.  

I am now retired from academia and after 42 years as a Library Media Specialist, a Public Librarian, and Assistant Professor of Library Science, University Administrator, restaurateur, cook and caterer, I am reviving my career as an artist/painter.

During the forty year period I adopted four more children, got divorced, remarried and embraced my step-children into my life and am now the delighted grandpa of twelve grandchildren.

My interest in art, especially painting, goes back many years.  A few years ago I decided to it was   time to back to what I wanted to do, which was to paint pictures. 
I saw an Ad in the Suffolk Times for a weekend workshop learning how to paint seascape murals at the
Atelier Gallery in Greenport.  

 I have exhibited in a number of galleries and vineyards on the North Fork and in various public libraries in both Nassau and Suffolk. I was the featured artist in the August Gallery Walk here in Greenport. I even made the cover of Dan’s Papers in February 2008.

I put together portfolios of my work and mailed and hand delivered them to Galleries and other venues from Locust Valley to Montauk Point.   I received many encouraging responses and a few offers, mainly from public libraries.  I started the new year off in the Armand Galleryin Bay Shore, followed by a month in the Locust Valley, Babylon,Bethpage, Cutchogue-New Suffolkand Sayville Libraries. 

 I have a summer place on the North Fork and spend a lot of time here (Yellow cottage 2nd from end).  I get most of my inspiration from the sea, the shore and scenes of the Long Island landscape.  My pictures are bright with bold colors, realistic interpretations of what I see and feel.

Recently I stumbled upon reverse glass painting after receiving an old painting on glass of the sinking Titanic from a friend when we did a workshop together at the Holocaust Center. It intrigued me, so I tried it myself and was delighted with the results.  It also helped that I had just taken 20 or so ancient windows out of my house.  Earlier this year I completed 10 Reverse Glass Paintings of Long Island Lighthouses and two other water views.