I grew up in a small town in Southern California. Like so many kids who loved to draw, I was always drawing. What began as a childhood interest gradually became a strong drive to create, and drawing became a constant part of my life. When I was eleven, my parents enrolled me in after-school art classes with local artist Carl Hass, where I learned the fundamentals of drawing and painting. By thirteen, I was spending my summers studying art at the Pasadena Art Museum. My interest in art and art history eventually led me to Paris, where I studied at the Sorbonne and the École des Beaux-Arts. I wanted to deepen my understanding of art and see firsthand the places where many of the artists I admired had lived and worked. I have been a professional artist for more than fifty years. As a teacher, I believe in giving students a strong foundation in the fundamentals while encouraging them to develop their own abilities and artistic voice. My goal is to help students learn to observe carefully, experiment, build confidence, and discover the satisfaction of making art.