Dale: How did I get to now?
I have always loved to paint and spent many hours as a young boy painting sailing ships. Growing up in Southern California I spent my summers sailing the bay around Newport Beach and sailing with the Sea Scouts (a division of BSA). My interests were painting, boats and history.
I was pleased to receive a scholarship to attend Art Center School of Design now located in Pasadena CA where I learned my craft. After college I was an illustrator for McDonald Douglas (now Boeing) and found myself reading more & more about the Civil War period. While working for McDonald Douglas, I met Anne who was a flight attendant. We were married in 1969 in Long Beach, CA. When her father gave me a subscription to Civil War Times I contacted them to see if they needed any historical illustration – which they did so I supplied them with art for their articles. When a friend asked me to paint a Civil War scene as a gift for her husband, I began this journey of creating historical stories on canvas. I decided to print one of my first Civil War paintings, Confederate Autumn, as a reproduction. The year was 1980! I found that the prints sold well and so I continued to paint while still in CA.
In 1984 Anne & our three young sons moved from Laguna, CA to Gettysburg. We built a gallery at 9 Steinwehr Ave. and for over 25 years enjoyed meeting customers there. Currently, Anne is still running the business online and I am painting several private Civil War commissions. I also paint nautical pieces as well so I am combining my boyhood interests of painting, boats & history.
So now, over 35 years later, our three sons are grown & I am still living here in Gettysburg where I have enjoyed being surrounded by its history. I am most fortunate to have a loyal following who appreciates the historical images I create. I plan to continue to release at least two images each year.