For artist Eugene "Gene" Rinchik, learning to paint in oils was always a life goal, but he got started rather late. Gene earned a Ph.D. in Genetics from Duke University in 1983 and spent most of his career as an educator and research scientist in genetics at the Oak Ridge National Lab, University of Tennessee and Sarah Lawrence College. He then followed that career by ten years as a real estate broker in the Hudson Valley of New York. As retirement neared, he wanted to fulfill his lifelong dream of painting, so he began extensively studying drawing and painting. In 2014, after 25 years of visiting and enjoying the American Southwest, he retired and moved to Placitas, New Mexico. Gene says, "As artists have recognized for years, New Mexico is a very special place, and my new surroundings provide constant inspiration for me as a landscape painter." Today, he works in a neat, light-filled studio space in his house in the desert. When he's not in his studio, he is either in his kitchen, outside enjoying the weather, or traveling to various parts of the world with his partner Brian. Gene has been featured in Southwest Art magazine and exhibited in art fairs and shows throughout New Mexico.