By Bonnie Gangelhoff

BORN: Newark, NJ.

ART EDUCATION: Parsons School of Design and the New York Academy of Art, both in New York City.

FIRST ART SALE: “To collector John Paxton, when I was about 22 and still attending Parsons. The painting was of the people I rode with on the train between New Jersey and New York.”

OTHER PASSIONS: Listening to music. “It helps me escape to my own world when I’m painting.”

QUIRKIEST TRAIT: “All of my traits are equally quirky.”

FAVORITE STUDIO MUSIC: Scores, usually from movies. “To me the best scores are by modern-day composers who are influenced by both the old and the new.”

BEST ADVICE RECEIVED: “A good artist knows that he is always a student of art.”

FAVORITE ARTWORK BY ANOTHER ARTIST: JUAN DE PAREJA by Diego Velazquez.

CREATIVE SPARK: Looking at Velazquez and John Singer Sargent paintings.

I’LL KNOW I’VE MADE IT WHEN: “I’m always setting new goals to achieve, so the phrase ‘making it’ doesn’t really apply.”

GALLERIES: Eleanor Ettinger Gallery, New York, NY; www.michaeldebrito.com.

Featured in our annual “21 Under 31” article in September 2008