It wasn’t until after high school that I actually focused on developing my artistic abilities. I took lessons at the Henry Street Settlement Arts Program under the tutelage of Ms. Mary Bonfiglio, working in pastels, acrylic and pencil.  After several years of absence from the art scene, I resumed my artistic development, enrolling in several classes at the Arts Students League on 57th Street in Manhattan. At the League I majored in oil painting, working on life portraits with instructor Oldrich Teply and several others. Later, I added additional classes with instructor Gregg Kreutz. For several semesters, I also took drawing and painting classes at Brooklyn College with the late Lennart Anderson.