Skip is a retired house painter with an eye toward music and art. He grew up in northern New Jersey in the 50’s and published a book on Amazon with stories about those days and how they influenced his life in later years. Playing in the woods was the primary source of adventure, but the trails and hideouts of his childhood years have been replaced by housing developments, shopping centers, and retail outlets. He and his wife have a small camp in the Adirondacks now where they spend as much time outdoors as they can. 

Skip’s first paintings came about when he needed Christmas gifts for his two sisters. He had a stack of canvas boards, a cigar box full of old oil paints, and a handful of brushes that had been given to him by his neighbor, who happened to be an artist. Using photos of the dogs, he finished the portraits just in time, and portrait painting became a hobby that evolved into landscapes, flowers, and other subjects in oil, acrylics, and watercolors. About the transition, he says, “I never thought I would enjoy painting portraits, but I’ve painted every animal and stuffed animal in our family since then; cats, dogs, and one guinea pig.”

Contact: skipvanlenten@gmail.com 

A collection of stories about Skip's life can be found on Amazon, but some of his favorites can be read here on the Stories page. He has some interesting tales to tell.