I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1953 and attended several universities and colleges before graduating with a BA in Political Science and Urban Studies in 1986 from California State University at Dominguez Hills.  After a fifteen year hiatus from art making  in the field of law enforcement, I earned a Master of Arts in Painting with a drawing minor in 2003 and a MFA in the same disciplines in 2005 from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas where I subsequently taught studio art, 2-D Design, and Art Appreciation for almost 17 years.

Since retiring in December, 2019 I have begun a new inquiry into the possibility of art, artist, and being an artist whether in the creation of visual art or the act of generating community here in Nacogdoches and globally.