I was extremely fortunate to have worked during my business career with industrial leaders, boards of directors, Heads of State and countless laborers, and, in general, a cross section of the worki...view moreI was extremely fortunate to have worked during my business career with industrial leaders, boards of directors, Heads of State and countless laborers, and, in general, a cross section of the working world. It was natural for me to feel comfortable and enjoy my exposure to equally influential liaisons from the art world. The most influential was Andrew Wyeth and the Wyeth family which became a strong influence on my development. I went on to find many other influences for my development. The next was Winslow Homer (1836 - 1910). A remarkable pioneer in American watercolor landscape painting with an interesting connection. Howard Pyle was an American Illustrator, revered Winslow Homer (1853 - 1911) and was a teacher to NC Wyeth (small world with 5 degrees of separation)! I enjoyed Winslow Homer's work which inspired me. We were both avid trout fly fisherman. I quite independently started the habit to introduce a touch of red into my paintings which reflects my sense of artistic humor, and which was coincidental to Homer introducing a touch of Vermillion into his paintings! Other teachers, mentors and influencers included, most notably Ed Whitney, Ron Ransom, Grant Fuller, Philip Jamison, James Toogood, Tony Couch, Alvaro Castagnet and Charles Reid. Each occupies a special place in my development for strengthening my skills and providing me with an appreciation of what it means to be an artist while capturing emotion and how this leads to 'greatness'.I continued as a journeyman to develop and hone my art knowledge and skills. I enjoyed the artist community which led to teaching and this unique opportunity to combine my analytical consulting skills to the art world culminating in this book!view less