I'm originally from Tampa Fla. I began drawing at a very early age. I spent hours drawing cartoon characters and at 8 years old I could whip one out in about a minute. My uncle was impressed and bought me a watercolor set. I used that up in about a week and my mother bought another. Then another, etc. I soon began doing the paint by number paintings (which I don't recommend). I've had to unlearn that "stay in the line disciplne" and still working at it.

At 14 I started playing guitar and joined a working band playing from 9:30 pm till 2:30 am 6 nights a week in bars and strip joints. Needless to say, I forgot about painting for a few years and concentrated on becoming a good musician.  My mother basically said she felt I had a good head on my shoulders and knew I would stay in school. She was at least half right ! I graduated  from high school and a few years later got a great job with a band that had about 5 Top 10 hits. Just prior to this I married the most beautiful and greatest girl you can imagine and we moved to Georgia. I have an Associate Degree in Science and need 15 hours to complete my Bachelors. I do plan on it someday if just to have the document.  

We love it here and we now live on 16 acres with deer passing thru now and then. Although I had painted about 12 paintings during that time it wasn't until recently that I started concentrating on trying to seriously find and develop a style of my own. I've studied with Dalhart Windberg and Barbara Dickerson. Both great painters and teachers. I've also received great advice from other artists including Henry Barnes. More of my paintings can be seen at my blog-samtrainaart.blogspot.com