After growing up in the smaller towns of Texas, Wyoming and Colorado he studied at Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado where he earned a B.A. in biology and an M.A. in sculpture. His work possesses a simple yet mystical quality, as to him, sculpture is visual poetry; a way of fulfilling a need to express himself even if there are things about his work, which he cannot explain. Many different sculptors, both non-representational and figurative, have influenced him, such as, Henry Moore, Leonard Baskin, Brancusi, Noguchi and Ernst Barlach. He also has a tremendous admiration for the "primitive" art in Africa and of the American Indians, for their simplicity and mysticism.