"After 30 years as an educator and furniture/product designer I am now a full time artist."

Vern finds that painting has always been his means of self expression. "During my carrier of teaching and design, I used painting to help center and stabilize my life. As a full time painter, I am free to pursue my own passions. Free to set my own objectives and solutions without committees."

"The most important thing for me about painting is the application of color.  I use abstraction. I including subject matter in my paintings as a point of reference from which I set the stage with visual elements including color, line, tone, composition which I use to solicit the viewers attention and participation. My goal is to involve the viewer to complete and personalize the painting within the parameters that I have created."

Vern is a popular teacher at the Upstairs Gallery - teaching drawing and painting with acrylics.