I was born an artist and have been creating and drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil and discern shape and color. I have been a self-taught surrealist/abstract artist for as long as I have been conscious of my artistic nature and abilities. Around 1995, I began taking classes in old master realism painting techniques (tonal painting) from Dominic Vignola in Oak Park, IL and ended up taking classes for the next three years which included still lifes and portraits in oil. I learned so much that I began using these tonal techniques in my subsequent abstract/surrealist...more