WELCOME

In the summer of 1980, I had the opportunity to spend the last semester of my Architectural graduate program in Florence, Italy and the surrounding area. It was there that I discovered my passion for sketching. Every day, our band of 10 students would head out to a new destination, sketch books in hand, and record the effort. In the years that followed, my wife and I would travel extensively throughout Europe and the United States. Photographs taken during those trips became the basis for many of my sketches. After graduation, I would go on to work at Architecture offices in New York, New Jersey, and Texas. During my 45 years in the profession I  would witness the change from analog to digital. Pencil and pen became obsolete as computer drafting and rendering became the norm. While highly efficient, it lacked the artistic element. Some of us at the office recognized this and decided to keep the tradition of hand drawing alive by implementing a weekly Sketching class. What started as a modest 30 minute session soon evolved into something much bigger. We would meet every Thursday after work and sketch a subject that was selected by a member of the group, be it a building, city scape, or landscape. The responsible person would research the subject and give a presentation while the others started sketching. The event would often be accompanied by food and wine from the region. Members of the group were free to employ any medium they were comfortable with. While some preferred pen, pencil, and marker, others were more comfortable with watercolor or pastel. The resulting work was often quite extraordinary with many pieces showing up at silent auctions for various charities. The section of this web page entitled Early Sketches and Studies showcases work from that period.Since retiring in 2021, I have continued to travel both regionally and abroad, finding inspiration around every corner.

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Technique​

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​The technique I have developed has evolved over the years and continues to do so. Photographs taken while traveling form the basis for most of my sketches. Once I decide on the size and format, I lightly sketch out the scene with a #2 pencil. At this point, the pencil is sketched over with very fine tipped black pens adding detail and texture. The result is a very detailed black and white sketch which is saved. Applying color to the original sketch is achieved by utilizing one or many of the media at my disposal. That may include, prismacolor pencil and marker, watercolor, pastel, and acrylic.