I was born in Saguache, Colorado on November 2, 1953 on the famous Mexican holiday, Dias de los Muertos. I was the third child in a family of seven children.

As a young man fresh out of high school, I went to New York City to discover and explore the world of art which had always excited me. While in NYC I worked with the Boys Athletic League.  After this exciting and enriching experience I went on to study at Colorado State University and Western Washington University. 

Culturally, the traditions and the international connections that make Taos, New Mexico an important art center was enormously appealing to me as an artist.  As my wife Beverly and I had maternal and paternal roots in the area we felt that it was also the place we wanted to raise a family, so we moved to Taos in 1983 to pursue our dreams.