About

Welcome to Chalk Horse Gallery

Behind me in the photo is one of my favorite drawings of my grandson, Mike, and with this I would like to introduce you to my work. This image of “Mike” was part of my solo show required to complete a Master of Science Degree from Illinois State University, Normal, IL. For this exhibit I did a series of portraits of my terrific family as paintings and drawings, working from photos as if my subjects were sitting beside me in the studio.

In some ways this was a fun subject, but in other ways it was psychologically challenging. Whenever an artist is doing a portrait, there is a unique thought process that connects the creator with the subject.

As you look though my web site, please enjoy the variety. This is what makes doing art so rewarding: the ability to jump from realism to abstraction, the desire to do a mountain or a figure or just playfully swing the brush around the canvas. For me it is color; after all, that brings everything together on the same plane.

You might wonder about the gallery’s name, which is a term from horse racing. “Chalk Horse” means the bettor’s favorite; the horse is my favorite subject. I have had the opportunity to do magazine covers for Illinois Racing News, Backstretch and Appaloosa Journal plus many commissioned paintings of a variety of horses.

I have a Bachelor of Fine Art from ISU and for that degree, I created a life-sized display of racehorses and riders in a saddling paddock scene. They were all acrylic paintings on canvas glued to plywood and cut out, with stands, to appear to be a group of real figures and horses. A 30ft display and a real challenge with a saber saw.