I was born in the northern Illinois suburb, Evanston, just outside of Chicago, on August 27th, 975 and then raised in Lake Zurich, IL.  After graduating high school in San Diego, California, I studied Industrial Design Technology (special effects) at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh briefly.  Deciding it wasn't something I wanted to pursue as a career, I taught myself to paint with oils from books borrowed from the library.  I then developed my favorite technique of taking photographs of my subjects to use as references.  Usually I'll combine two or three photos together for a single painting, which probably contributes to the surreal quality of my work.  I paint the surroundings of my life.  The women are usually reflections of my own mind & mentality at the  time of rendering, or I paint them simply because they are beautiful & desirable.  Collectively, all my works have some personal meanings to them, but for the casual observer, I'd rather have them come up with their own perceptions.  I believe that art should make you think and take you to another place.  However, if I had a dramatic story for every painting and hidden messages for every object & figure, the picture would lose its enigmatic substance.   I've show my work at the Eye of Horus bookstore in Pittsburgh, PA, and in Chicago, IL at Gallery 1633, Thirteenth Floor, Feitico Gallery and Echo Gallery.