Len Mondschein was born on October 16, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York. Raised on the tough streets of East New York and Brownsville, he was drawn to the security of the street gang. Because both of his parents worked there was little supervision of their son. Before long Len was remanded to the after school care of his determined maternal grandmother who worked in a local movie theatre. He literally spent hours in the theatre captivated by those wonderful old B movies of the 40’s and enthralled by those action-packed westerns of the 50’s. Early on he began sketching the actors, the animals and the scenes in those movies.

As part of his supervision Len spent afternoons, at the office of his family’s GP, doing odd jobs and running errands. Dr. Harold Zeide’s dedication to his work and compassion for his patients would have a profound influence on the teen. The draw of the street and the lure of the gang began to wane - replaced by unlikely heros and improbable dreams.

In 1969 Len graduated from the Georgetown University School of Medicine; and, by 1974, he had completed an internship and residency in General Surgery and a residency in Urology. The year 1971 held a defining moment for him. The pressures of raising a family, the demanding long days of his residency, and the loss of his mother began to take its toll. A fellow resident and amateur artist, familiar with Len’s drawings, suggested that, as an outlet, he try his hand at painting. Now, given the little amount of free time available, Len had a problem with deciding upon his subject matter. He had always had a penchant for figure drawing; he had, of course, a professional aptitude for and knowledge of human anatomy; and, his wife had just presented him with the gift of a book of paintings by his favorite artist – Norman Rockwell.

Len had more than a fascination for Norman Rockwell’s realistic type of painting. He so enjoyed the artist’s interpretation and portrayal of all that was decades of Americana – the humor and the pathos, the poignant and the farcical, the patriotism and the social critique. Len had always wanted a Norman Rockwell painting or at least a print: however, funds were always scarce for a surgeon in training. The next best thing – paint it yourself.

From 1974 to 1976 Len served as a Major in the United States Army Medical Corps. During that time he had painted a dozen or so copies of his favorite Norman Rockwell paintings and Saturday Evening Post magazine covers. He had honed his innate and self-taught skills. Len’s sister suggested that he send photos of the paintings to Norman Rockwell for a critique. Much to his surprise the renowned artist wrote back with a very favorable critique and several suggestions. Those typed and hand-signed letters on Norman Rockwell's personal stationary are among Len’s most treasured possessions.

Len’s innate talent and his meticulous attention to the finer details have, over the years, served him well as both a surgeon and an artist. Now in the twilight years of his medical practice he finds himself eagerly and energetically looking forward to much more time for his painting. He is presently in the midst of a life-size painting of a young Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan. Though he’d like to continue painting those nostalgic icons of years gone by, Len has always been drawn to paintings of Native Americans and particularly Southwest art. Those old western movies from so many years ago have conjured up a myriad of ideas for future paintings. Among Len’s favorite Western artists are Howard Terpning, David Nordhal, Joe Netherwood and Robert Griffing.

Len and Arlene, hope to eventually settle in northern Arizona closer to the beauty of the desert and the redrock mountains, the cacti and the wildlife, our Native Americans and their treasured history.