Phil became interested in art as a child living in Europe where he got to enjoy the great masters in the museums of Italy and Germany.  His formal studies covered seven years, attending the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art, in Chicago, where he received his degree in 1981.   From the beginning, travel has been an important part of providing his collectors with a wide variety of subject matter.  Traveling several times a year to paint has allowed Phil to grow and mature as an artist.

From early on his interest took him to many parts of the West and Southwest, where he soon grew to love the culture and the landscape.  "The goal is to paint so the viewer can appreciate the beauty of the scene and "see" it through the artist's eyes," says Starke.  Phil feels this is a way of connecting with a busy public -- a public that may not take the time to stop and realize the beauty around them.  "If I've done my job right, anyone looking at my work will be able to feel the emotion and mood of the moment and will want to spend some time with the piece -- taking in all the things I had to say."