History and Art

History and art are two of my favorite things.

In grammar school I was selected for an advanced art program. "Special Art", as it was unfortunately named, had us painting still life in oils and learning about modern art when other kids were still using finger paints. While I can't remember a time when I wasn't doing something artistic, it was that experience which led me to think of myself as an artist.

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I’m still painting in oils today.  Their buttery texture and versatility are hard to beat. Oils are notoriously difficult to master so I tend to paint small paintings with the philosophy that I’ll learn more creating 10 small pieces than I will doing one big one.  It seems to work for me and is probably related to another one of my favorite creative outlets.

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Sculpting the human form is maddeningly difficult and very rewarding. When I was a kid, building models was a popular hobby before the proliferation of video games. Somewhere along the line I became fascinated by miniature things. My figure sculpts are usually no more than 2 ¼ inches tall! I know that some people might think that working that small is torture but I find it therapeutic. Really. I do.

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A sense of humor is essential to living a happy life. I produced my first caricature during a slow week at work in the early 90’s. It was of my boss. He happened to walk up behind me as I was working on it. That could have gone badly but he loved it! He had me produce one for each of his entire staff and regularly used them in briefings. It’s also become a tradition during my time working for the Army. As it turns out, Army officers have a sense of humor too. Lucky for me.

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My passion for history starts with my mom. She always planned the family vacation around some historical place; Williamsburg, Gettysburg, Fort Ticonderoga, etc. She passed away when I was in 8th grade but in that short time she taught me to feel the history of a place. There is a beauty to these places that is enhanced by the knowledge of what their place in history means. I lived it too. As a reenactor the sights, sounds, and smells of history became very real to me.