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I lived in a small Maasai village for a month in 2012. The people were beautiful and expressive in ways that only watercolors could capture. I painted this boy, eventually using strong reds and blues to bring out his vibrant personality. The people in the village were suffering because of a recent draught so we decided to start a foundation to help the children stay in school. This was especially important for some of the girls, ages 12 -15, whose families could marry them off in exchange for cattle, a form of wealth. I promised them that one half of the proceeds from the sale of the portraits would go to start the foundation to help these children.

Before becoming a full-time fine artist, I had a long and successful career as a lawyer and legal educator. But in the end, I came back to that which has been the enduring force in my life: fine art. I attended Cooper School of Art while in my early twenties. Even while practicing and teaching law, I continued to paint and develop my unique style. My paintings are largely based upon people who I've known or have met. I paint in pastels, oils, and watercolors. But pastels are my favorite! In what I call my Nubian Series I draw my subjects with soft pastel and use different mixed media to bring them to life. I use traditional African cloth and contemporary materials to separate figure from ground and liberate the subject from the...