I enjoy painting portraits of animals, especially dogs and cats, and probably have something in common with cave painters who portrayed the animals in their world because the preliminary sketch I did for a bear painting looks suspiciously like it might be a lot older than I am.

 I did my first dog portraits in 1983 as gifts for my sisters. It was not something I could imagine myself doing 40 years later, but it has become a great way to spend my retirement years.

Photography is also something I enjoy. Being in the Adirondacks, I would regret the missed opportunity if I didn't have my camera with me all the time. There is something beautiful around every corner, and having a Photos page here allows me to share a little bit of it on a regular basis.

I also write. I grew up in northern New Jersey in the 50's, and have written a number of nostalgic stories about what it was like when Bergen County was filled with farmlands, wooded areas, and everything associated with rural life. I have a collection of those stories and later adventures here on the Stories page, and the complete collection on Amazon.

skipvanlenten@gmail.com