Greenlee Studios

Who am I?

I’m married to the gracious and enormously patient Jennifer Suzanne Barnes. Proud father of five boys Thomas, Colin, Devin, Alistair and Duncan, the first three boys are from Suzanne’s first marriage and youngest are a product of Suzanne and myself. I am truly blessed with these wonderful persons in my life. I really don’t know why I am so lucky but I am deeply appreciative.

I was born in 1961 to Paul Hood Greenlee, 1920-1995 and Marjorie Elizabeth Mattoon, 1921-2005 (extraordinary Americans). Labor Day came early that year in September (I was born on the second) at Mercy Memorial Hospital in Urbana. “Doc” Pond delivered me and remarked to my father, "that he was in a rut, another boy". I had two older brothers at home with Grandma Greenlee and Noni Mattoon. My father’s response was, “look whose talkin.” Doc Pond had just had his fourth boy William Clark (my oldest friend) less than a month previous.

My first memory is seared into my mind, literally. The summer before I turned four I had a life altering accident at Rocky Fork State Park. I was playing with some sort yard toy (plastic rake, I think) and was backing up when I tripped backwards and fell into the charcoal fire on the ground. Luckily this accident, though extremely painful for my parents, was a gift. Most of my body escaped the heat of the fire except my left hand. It was burnt. Bad, third degree.

I remember one of my parents sweeping me up, my Dad I think. And my Mom pulling the glowing coals from my little fingers, burning her fingers in the process, while the next door camper ran over with some kind of greasy lotion (not the thing to do, but who knew at the time).

My parents drove me to the Hillsboro, Ohio hospital.

I remember looking up from a gurney at the urine green block walls, a nurse in cat-eye black glasses who attempted to settle me down, and the bright incandescent bulbs hanging in prison like fixtures from the ceiling.

We drove back to Urbana that day.

Wow, what a long drive for my poor parents and brothers. I hope I did not scream all the way home. I’ll have to ask Bobby (my oldest brother 13 at the time) if he remembers. I did and he seems to remember me being quiet.

Anyway, I mentioned that this was a blessing. It was, because while I spent many months recovering. I was limited in my active play, so I drew, and drew, and drew some more. The worlds I was privileged to journey into while I drew was perhaps something I might not have done if I had not been burnt. Who knows? But, I like to think that since I lived in my own world from an early age I was able to engage in creative thoughts and dreams at will. I love the escape. Just ask anyone who knows me well and they will tell you I live in my own world.

I have always drawn and I love to draw and use color because of how I see from the mind’s eye through my vision. I have not always been an artist though. For many years of my life I pursued other vocations hence the IT expertise. I still drew. And my college education beyond hard partying was in art school.

Go figure? So I am an expert in Information Technology, but that’s another story. And I am doing a gig in Philadelphia to assist a company get their network under control while I am doing art thing at nights and on the weekends. One thing I have decided is that I WILL be an artist fulltime for the rest of my life. But, with five boys I have to be judicious with my efforts. They eat and food cost, along with all their other needs.

The good Lord has given me a vision that at times I struggle with. I am maturing and finally growing up and learning to understand the huge gift I have been given, only 49.

So if you choose to be my customer, I will be delighted to sell you something I can draw and color. You just might have a piece someday that will continue to give on more levels than just personally appealing esthetics.

So here’s the deal. I need at least two thousand clients. People, average people, whom I can fill a need or want with my artwork. Consider being my customer. From this web site you can see what I have to offer.

Thanks.