During these early years in my art career, following my graduation from Brigham Young University, I spent most of my art time painting landscapes and still-lifes in both oil and watercolor and searching for ways to market my work.

In 1978 I also began receiving commissions from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to paint portraits of some of their general authorities and do illustrations for their media curricula. My “early years” section overlaps with my “Commission years” section, but in general, the early years were spent beginning to build a reputation as a fine artist, working out ways to make a living doing the thing I love.