Octogenarian Joe Kowalewski took up painting after he retired as an engineer following a long career at a nuclear power plant in Southern New Jersey. In many ways, his former profession helped him conceive many of the easy-to-understand steps found in this book. At the same time, he also has a gift for innovation and is known for his sense of humor that has helped him to overcome painting setbacks that every artist experiences. He paints and lives in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania and has worked as a handyman and volunteer for the past nineteen years at the nearby Chester County Art Association in West Chester, the oldest art school in the Brandywine Valley that was founded by N.C. Wyeth.