My father was even a playwriter with one very-off-broadway musical about Manolete (the bullfighter) which was presented at a Provincetown playhouse near an artist's enclave where he once lived. My parents took education very seriously in that they developed it to an art form. They were also avid art collectors and I was introduced to a number of artists which they supported their work with purchases and with parties and gatherings. As a result I had befriended many of the Woodstock, NY artists which wintered in South Florida. So I grew up around art and I grew up around education. Small wonder why I went to art school...

I had the distinction of going to Ohio University when Arnold Gassan was still teaching photography and experimental photographic printmaking. He taught me a certain responsibility to the technical aspects of the medium that I shall not forget. As a printmaker I studied under Mary Manusos who gave me the encouragement and the confidence to become a printer for artists at one of the hottest print studios in New York City. So after graduation I was able to collaborate with many of the top conceptual artists of the 70s and 80s. I had the confidence to open my own studio (Cone Editions) in 1980!

When I began experimenting with computers in 1984 and developing all manner of experiemental computer printmaking techniques, I felt a responsibilty to give it back. I became a guest instructor at my alma-mater Ohio University, as well as many other Universities around the US. I even taught printmaking at State University of New York at Purchase which was 15 miles from my Port Chester studio. My professional mentor was the master printmaker Tim Mara who became head of The Royal College of Art in London. I literally brought an IRIS printer with me (no easy feat as they are 600 lbs.) and gave a one week workshop to the printmakers of his college. I had learned so much from his serigraphy manuals that I wanted to return the favor.

Before Arnold Gassan passed away from his long bout with cancer, I was able to give back to him in the form of color and b&w digital systems to help him print his archives. In turn, his last gift to me was the short-bath selenium toned fibre print which I modeled the PiezoTone Selenium Tone inks after.

My digital printmaking workshops evolved from teaching printmakers the techniques of carborundum etching, photogravure, monoprint and relief printing - a practive I did throughout the 1980's and early 1990's. My digital training was limited at first, to those who purchased $150,000 IRIS inkjet systems from my company. I was IRIS Graphic's Marketing and Development Partner for Fine Arts from 1993-1997. During this time I had the pleasure of training nearly 50 different IRIS printmakers among them David Adamson, Mike Hunter, Jamie Cook, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Buckenmeyer, and Donald Saff.

In 1998, I began the augmenting my IRIS monochromatic inkjet systems with EPSON inkjet systems. I also began focusing my education to individuals who were using EPSON 3000 printers. Of course, now I give on average two workshops a month for eight individuals.