Rick began creating Art at the age of 10. Born and raised in Erie Pennsylvania, he has a great appreciation for the region's historical sites as well as the natural beauty of the area. The sites in this area have always been intriguing to him and he hopes that others will see the majestic beauty of them in his work. He hasn't limited himself to historical subjects alone but instead has created numerous works involving many different themes. He may paint a lighthouse one day and a lion the next, always striving to put his heart and soul into each one. He's worked many different jobs over the years including, as a young boy, shining shoes, repairing bicycles and delivering news papers, just to name a few. He served three years in the United States Army. After an honorable discharge from the Army, Rick acquired a job with General Electric building and later on, testing locomotives. He spent most of his adult life working for GE. Working for a big company like General Electric was not always smooth sailing but it paid the bills and helped take care of his family. Rick suffered many years of layoffs due to the rise and fall of demand for locomotives. During those hard times he found many different jobs such as crushing grapes for wine and juice, tending bar at a local club, delivering pizza and painting signs in the basement of a hardware store. During a rather lengthy layoff he received a grant to attend a two year Drafting and Design Class. After obtaining an Associate Degree and a short working career in the field he returned to GE as a laborer. The increase in pay and benefits were too good to turn down, not to mention he wanted his family to have a better life, so he chose to say goodbye to his new career. All of this has brought Rick to this very point in his life and though it hasn't always been easy, he wouldn't change a thing. Through all of the ups and downs he never gave up on his art. Rick has always loved art and continuously strives to improve on his abilities. He's been studying art for many years, with books, some early classes in high school and decades of practice. Rick has used many different mediums and is currently working, primarily, with acrylics on canvas. Some of his works have been published in a book, 'Parks Portrayed in Pen and Paint', about America's National Parks, written by two poets and featuring their poems along with art works by several different artists including Rick and Stephan Bauman, just to name a couple. Rick has been featured in numerous group pages on Fine Art America's web site and has also painted numerous rocks in the spirit of the 'Rock Art' movement that has been sweeping, not just the country but also the world. You can view these rocks and his paintings on Facebook at 'Rick's Art' or 'Rock My World'. You may also visit his web site at http://www.Ricksart.net ...Thank You...