I was born in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on September 30, 1970. After graduating high school, I attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and, in 1991, received an Associates Degree in Graphic Design. During that time I apprenticed under Robert Griffing, at MARC Advertising in Pittsburgh. I also assisted a professor at the Community College of Allegheny County on the Aldus PageMaker software. I enjoyed the experience so much that I decided to go back to school and attain a teaching degree. Before I could, however, I needed money. I spent nearly a year working in and around local Pennsylvania coal mines, before joining the United States Army, on October 21, 1991. In February of 1992 I left to train at the Army School of Engineers at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri. By September of 1992 the exhaustive training had been completed, and I began attending classes in art education, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 1996 I received a Bachelor’s Degree in the Science of Art Education. Through the next several years, still serving in the Army Reserves, I became a day-to-day sub and worked nights at a local paper, editing photos on Photoshop and laying out advertisements on PageMaker. It was during this time, as a substitute teacher, that I met my wife Catherine, who teaches at a local school district. We were married on July 14, 2001, and our son, Dain Christian, was born on August 7, 2002. My wife is Irish, and we decided to use the Gaelic spelling of our son’s name. In 1999 I was hired to teach art at a nearby school district. I’ve been charged with the responsibility of teaching art to 650 different students each week. In a school year, I’ve estimated that we create in the ballpark of 12,000 individual pieces of student work. In 2005 I was added to the list of Who’s Who of American Teachers, of which 3% are Art Educators. By July of 2001 my second enlistment and career in the Army Reserves was completed. I served 9 years, entering the service about 5 months after Desert Storm, and exiting the service 2 months before September 11. I don’t know if I’m good or just lucky, but it was time to pass the torch on to a younger generation. Through all of this, I’ve remained passionate about creating art. I haven’t yet settled on using one-single media, style, or even subject matter. Each commission seems to lend itself to its own best form of media and style to be used. All told, I simply enjoy each journey a project brings with its own challenges and solutions.