I attended SMU in Dallas and earned Bachelor’s degrees in Business and English. A few years later, I completed a Master of Fine Arts in Film at Columbia University in New York. My master’s thesis—a short film I wrote, directed, and edited called The Make—did about as well as a short film can, screening at the Sundance Film Festival, winning a Student Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the folks behind the Oscars), and taking home several Best Film awards at international festivals. Hollywood came calling, and after a long and grueling development period, I finally made a feature film titled Certain Guys, which I wrote, directed, and acted in as part of the ensemble.

After years of hard work without much of a career in Hollywood, I returned to Dallas to explore real estate opportunities. I started renovating investment properties and eventually moved on to building single-family homes and duplexes. Being a builder was as close as I could imagine to being a film director—you need a distinct aesthetic, a clear vision, and you have to get all the different trades on board to bring their best ideas to the project. I loved that career path and enjoyed being in control of my own destiny—until the 2008 financial crisis reminded me that control can be an illusion.

Fast forward several years: I still have some involvement in real estate ventures, but (with a little “help” from my wife) I decided to step away from the high-risk world of building. Craving a new creative outlet, I revisited my long-time interest in metal sculpture in 2021 by enrolling in welding classes at the Creative Arts Center in Dallas. For the past year and a half, I’ve been setting up shop at Dallas College, where I’ve had the privilege of learning from and being encouraged by talented metal artists. I’m building a body of work I’m proud of and moving toward larger-scale projects that truly excite me. I’ve sold several pieces, though I’m not represented by a gallery and haven’t had exhibitions yet. My website is a work in progress—so now’s a great time to get in on the ground floor.