I was drifting towards realism, and in 1976 found myself in New York, visiting Jack Beal. I was always
very impressed with his work from the 1960’s, in which he would layer objects, figures, patterned
fabrics, etc. He was a Realist Painter with the ability to make powerful abstract statements.

On an earlier visit I met Chuck Close and saw him at work on a very early self portrait. He was
another Realist Painter, exploring a new way of working. He was actually layering color separations,
with paint, to achieve his amazing paintings. During the early 70’s I also met Richard Shaw,
whose wonderful ceramic sculptures had a big impact on me, especially my still life work.

On the 1976 visit, one thing led to the next, and I ended up staying for a year, doing manual labor
for Beal on a large commission he had just started.

For the next few years I worked at my own Realism, which just flowed out naturally.
My style was always the same, no matter what I chose to paint. I kept my ideas about layering, about
the painting as an object, and always thought of myself as an Abstract Artist, who was now also
incorporating realism into the mix. My Realism seemed to be a sort of Hyper-Realism, everything
slightly exaggerated. It was a fitting tribute to my earliest influences, Michelangelo and Walt Disney.
A very special watercolor, a personal homage to them is shown in the Still Life and sadly, Stolen sections.

“During the 1950’s, realism disappeared from critical consideration, only to re-emerge a decade later with Pop Art, Photo-Realism, Super-Realism and other styles loosely grouped under the category of New Realism. This exhibition of artworks from the Museum’s permanent collection, explores the diverse styles of Realism of the late 20th century. Included are works by Richard Estes, Philip Pearlstein, Andy Warhol, George Segal, Wayne Thiebaud, Richard Diebenkorn, Chuck Close, Robert Treloar, and other Artists. ”