About Tony
I was born in Monroe, North Carolina, where my first love was drawing. I drew constantly as a very young boy. Then I was taken to Florence, Italy for high school. Outside of classes, I worked with artists and took drawing lessons. By 11th grade, I had begun painting more seriously. The Renaissance masters became my greatest influence—the streets, cathedrals, and frescoes were my art school.
Drawings from high school in Florence
After Italy, I spent a year at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, focusing primarily on drawing. I then took a year off before attending Appalachian State University for one year, knowing I would transfer to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia for my degree. That's when my career began taking off. I started exhibiting while still a student, with my first show in the early 80s in Winston-Salem.
NC School of the Arts
Vase and Slipper, 1979, my first painting, and the piece that got me into the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
Portrait of Mary, painted during my time at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
After college, I remained in the Philadelphia area for four more years, painting and exhibiting, before moving to Charlotte in the late 80s. Since then, I've been showing work throughout the Charlotte area and in the North Carolina mountains, where I keep a cabin.
I paint my life: the people, the places, the spaces. I paint for the sensations I experience while painting.
painting in Ashe County, NC
Obid’s Creek
in the collection at Duke University
Contact
I enjoy offering tea or coffee to visitors, along with a tour of all my work—including pieces that have never been exhibited. Please reach out if you'd like to schedule a studio visit in Statesville, North Carolina.
