I was born (1934) and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.  I graduated from a Lutheran Elementary School and Lutheran Central High School.  In the fall of 1954, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was assigned (for four years) to the USAF Security Service as a Radio Traffic Analyst.  I served at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines and at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland at the National Security Agency (NSA). While in USAF Technical School at Kelly Air Force Base, I grew to love San Antonio, Texas.  After my four years in the USAF, I attended and graduated from the University of Missouri, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Some of my most interesting courses at the University were classes in Art History and Art. I never really stopped going to school in my lifetime and earned an additional degree, later in life, in travel and tourism.  I have worked as an Urban Planner at two employments having performed extensive land use surveys via aircraft in Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Michigan, which also included the compilation of base maps of urban areas to be used in planning research. In 1964, I was employed by the Defense Mapping Agency in St. Louis, where aeronautical charts (maps) were compiled and produced for the U.S. Air Force.  I served there for 26 plus years before retiring. While making charts for the USAF, I learned many artistic tricks which I apply in my paintings. Looking for a hobby after retirement, in 1993, as part of never having stopped going to school, I enrolled in a continuing education class in oil painting, in St. Louis. Over the years there, I had three different but very capable oil painting instructors.  In 2000, my wife and I moved to San Antonio when she obtained employment at Kelly Air Force Base. I continued with my oil painting and enrolled in oil painting classes in the San Antonio Department of Parks and Recreation. I took extensive classes at both the Commander's House and Lion's Field. I have also taken extensive oil painting class work with the San Antonio Northside School District Division of Continuing Education and with OASIS.  Lastly, while taking a class many years ago at Commander's House, I was encouraged by a student there named Shirley F., to participate in an organization named the Lytle Friendship Art Club. I joined the Lytle Art Club and the rest is history. May I say, that over the years, both here and in St. Louis, but mostly in San Antonio, I've met and painted with the most extraordinarily talented persons I've known in my lifetime. Each instructor, each instruction, each painter, each art show I've known are cherished individuals and events which I'll never forget.  Each has added significantly to any modicum of talent which I might possess.