While working as a property insurance adjuster, I had the pleasure of meeting Janneka Hannay, artist and art therapist, in her home in New Jersey. Her home was filled with abstract art, canvases everywhere. I expressed to her that I had always wanted to paint but couldn’t draw a stick figure with a ruler. Her reply was, ”Buy a book by Betty Horton, ‘Drawing with the right side of your Brain’ and you will be able to draw”. I purchased the book and found that I could draw, albeit not very well. Next step was to learn to paint. I met Master Artist Martin Driscoll, who offered to teach me to paint. Unfortunately, Martin Driscoll died in 2011, before I was able to take advantage of his offer. I married Martin’s widow Judith in 2015. Judith and I had dated in high school and she was my 1956 Junior Prom date. After we married she inspired me to paint and encouraged me to take classes, which I didn’t. However, I started reading books and painting by trial and error. Mostly error. I met artist Danny Jones at a neighborhood party at our home in Winberley, Tx. I told Danny I wanted to paint, but really didn’t know how to start. Danny said, “Are you right- handed”? “OK, then paint top to bottom, left to right and back to front”. I finally started to paint after Judith and I moved to Evergreen, CO in 2018. I am self-taught and have never gone to art school nor had an art class, but I do have Judith, who is my art critic that pulls no punches. I don’t know if I paint the correct way, if there is a correct way, but I enjoy painting, so I paint my way.