Introduction

Now residing near Portland Oregon, I've been creating portrait sculpture for over 40 years. I received a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Oregon in 1980 and has since studied with such renowned sculptors as John Coleman, Eugene Daub, and Tuck Langlund at the Scottsdale Artists School.

Born in Lancaster, CA, the last child of 8, my love of sculpting developed at an early age when I discovered that I could make figures out of the clay soil of the hot Mojave desert and that they would dry to a state of permanency when left out in the scalding sun. 

I have been sculpting on and off all of my life - unfortunately more off - between raising two children and working a full time job at a terrific software development company. I have spent many wee hours in the morning working on a piece, long after any sane person would have gone to bed, knowing that if they don't their brain will be mush the next day. For some reason, when I am working on a piece, I just can't pull myself away - I keep seeing "just one more thing" I want to do before I stop. I look forward to retirement when I will have the time and the freedom to really pursue my passion, and to develop whatever sliver of "talent" that I have been given. But alas, that is a few years away yet...

Sharing the works of other family members

My mother, Betty Schwartz, was an oil painter up until about age 90 and had her works in galleries along the beautiful Oregon coast. Specifically, Newport, Or. I dabbled at painting and drawing in my youth - winning several awards at the county fair for my pen and ink works - but never developed a knack for mixing color.  3 dimension just seemed to come more naturally. Besides, though I've been told that I am "thick skinned" by my coworkers, I wouldn't have taken the criticism very well from my mother, who was quite a remarkable painter.

Closest sister Jo-Hanna has channeled her artistic eye towards breathtaking photography. View some spectacular scenes from the Oregon coast:

sister Jo Photography