“Portraits from the Ramp” is an on-going series of digital portraits, all drawn from life using an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and the Procreate app. The ramp is the area of an airport where aircraft are parked and serviced. These portraits depict Ramp Service Employees (RSEs), also known as “Rampers” or “Ramp Agents”, from the ramp at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). RSEs direct aircraft in and out of the ramp, and handle baggage and cargo. This series is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of this diverse community.
Painting Expressive Portraits at a Trade Show
I painted portraits of visitors to a client booth throughout a trade show in Dallas. Each portrait subject received digital files of their portrait and the time lapse replay video plus a small framed print which was produced immediately at the completion of the portrait.
Painting the Scene: Gingham Gala
This digital painting was painted live at an annual fundraiser, the Gingham Gala, that supports the Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, Lancaster, PA. It depicts the scene and captures the atmosphere. The artwork was displayed in real time as it was created on a large screen visible throughout the event space.
Here are some photos from the event:
Painting the Scene: Corporate Party at the Renwick Gallery, Washington DC
This digital painting was painted live at a corporate event in the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.. It depicts the scene and captures the atmosphere. The artwork was displayed in real time as it was created on a large screen visible throughout the magnificent event space. The room had dramatic floor-to-ceiling glass windows on two sides through which we were all treated to an amazing colorful sunset view looking out over the beautiful Boston Seaport.
Here are some photos from the event:
Big thank you to Kate, Tabitha and the staff of the museum.
Painting the Scene & Awardees at a Fundraiser, Washington D.C.
This painting was created live at the S.O.M.E. Annual Gala in Washington D.C.. As you can see I captured the scene from the side of the stage, including the live band and all the awardees honored during and after the Gala dinner.
My digital painting, created live on an iPad Pro using the Procreate app and an Apple Pencil, was projected on multiple large screens in the main ballroom as well as outside the ballroom in the vestibule where the pre-dinner reception took place. Here are some photos from the event:
Congratulations to S.O.M.E. on the great work they do in providing food and services to those in need.
Portraits & Presentation at a Leadership Summit, San Antonio, TX
The portrait above and those below were created during a real estate company’s annual Leadership Summit in San Antonio, Texas. I painted these portraits of guests throughout the summit, including at their Halloween party on the famous Riverwalk (you can tell by the wonderful costumes!), as well as during conference breaks and reception times.
The painting below was created as part of a 30 minute platform presentation, “Unify in Art”, I gave at the summit on their gala award dinner night. The summit theme was Unify and my presentation built on the role of unifying in making art – bringing together brushstrokes, colors and different visual elements into a cohesive and unified whole. The presentation took place on the Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos) / All Souls Day, a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased, and create home alters to remember them, for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration. San Antonio was decorated for the festivities, as was the hall where I gave the presentation, and so I included motifs and colors in this painting that reflected these decorations.
San Francisco Scene & Gift Bag Art at the Visa Infinite Experience, Shack15
This painting was created live at the VISA Infinite Experience at Shack 15 in San Francisco. The brief was to evoke the feel of San Francisco and I chose to depict scenes from the Golden Gate Park, Victorian houses, North Beach and a bridge that mixed elements of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges.
The client also asked me to create a different custom artwork (below), also evoking San Francisco, that I printed out and framed and was placed in all the guest gift bags to take home with them.
Here are some photos from the event:
A Portrait Conversation Keynote at the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, PA
This portrait was created as part of a Portrait Conversation keynote for a fundraiser for the Simpson Foundation that took place in the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the keynote myself and David, one of the residents of Simpson House, sat on stage and discussed his life and some of his inspiring stories. As I drew out the stories in our conversation I also drew his portrait on the iPad, projected in real time on a large screen above the stage. The audience enjoyed experiencing a portrait of David emerge in both words and paint at the same time!
Live Painting at the Sun Princess Name Reveal
This painting was created live at the Name Reveal Event for Princess Cruises latest cruise ship, the Sun Princess. Before the name was revealed I live painted a scene of the view from the deck of the cruise ship showing Greek islands and the Agean on the left and an Alaskan scene on the right. Then for the reveal I painted a sunrise happening, starting with night and transforming into the early morning light, with the Sun Princess depicted on the right.
The actual reveal was so beautiful: a dancer was suspended below a balloon and danced in the air with the setting sun directly behind her as the fabulous electric string quartet Spinphony Strings played The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”.
My paintings, virtual murals, were displayed in real time on a 60′ x 20′ floating barge display system moored at the terminal. The audience could enjoy seeing the brush strokes as they built up into the completed artworks.
This is the replay of the first artwork I made:
Here are some photos from the event:
And the artworks:
Big thank you to the whole team, talent and staff involved in this fabulous event!
Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II
April 21, 1926 – September 8, 2022
40" x 20", combined media on canvas
This portrait was created on the morning of the Queen’s Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on June 3rd, 2012. The pageant, celebrating 60 years on the throne at that time, was the largest flotilla on the River Thames in 350 years. The main portrait is based on a photograph by Lewis Whyld taken during a 2012 visit of the Queen to Canada. Scenes from the Jubilee Pageant festivities are incorporated into the painting, plus the painting “The River Thames with St. Paul’s Cathedral on Lord Mayor’s Day” (1746) by Giovanni Antonio Canaletto, which acted as a visual inspiration for the flotilla. The image on the left shows the Queen at the time of her Coronation in 1952.
With condolences to her family on her passing.