C. (Mike) Riley – Short Biography
Mike majored in drafting during high school and excelled with pen and ink drawings. He was art editor of the high school newspaper during his senior year. He joined the U.S. Air Force with the intent of becoming a draftsman, but the Air Force had other plans and sent him to an electronics school where he learned to maintain the radar system on an advanced fighter interceptor of the post Korea period. When he completed active duty in the Air Force, he worked in the military aerospace industry for 20 years as an engineering technician, logic designer, project engineer; and project manager. Moved to test instrument sales in 1977.
Mike studied liberal arts at the University of Tulsa and later transferred to the business school to complete a B.S.B.A.
In the 1980’s, Mike and his wife did wedding and portrait photography on weekends. He learned artistic composition and balance from many leading photographers that passed through Dallas with their weekend photography seminars on weddings, individual and group photographs, indoor and outdoor photography.
His work with the PC has presented a new and enjoyable hobby. He calls his photographic artwork “Stylized Prints”. Some of this artwork began as a photo taken during his foreign travels; some of his creations are derived from a local flower bed, or scenery that he has photographed. He says that Nature provides an abundance of colors to work with and the computer provides the digital canvas, paint and brush.