1976. Ink on Paper. 22 by 22 inches.

This piece started it all. As a second semester sophomore at South Dakota State University in 1976, I still had not chosen a major or a minor. I took a couple of drawing courses to meet my humanities requirements. In my second drawing course, the final assignment was to “use ink to draw a complex scene in any style.” I went to the “A” volume in the World Book Encyclopedia, and studied photos of various Architecture styles. I created this pen-and-ink sketch from a small black-and-white photo of the Georgian-Style home of the Carter’s Grove Plantation in Williamsburg, Virginia. My instructor’s feedback gave me the confidence to draw more and start painting. In May 1978, I graduated with a major in geography and a minor in art.