Mr. Schafer grew up along the New Jersey coast and at an early age he transformed his love of the tidewater area into artwork and painting. He attended the Philadelphia Museum College of Art and graduated in 1959. Schafer credits the Philadelphia School of Realists as an influence on his own work and technique. Painters such as Eakins, Homer and Wyeth have had a profound effect on the young artist.

   During the early 1960's, Mr. Schafer worked as a concept artist for Martin Marietta Corporation where he depicted early stages of the United States space program.

   Moving to New York City he painted and illustrated for many clients, among them Popular Mechanics, Motor Boating and Sailing, and American Aviation magazines. During the summers he opened his own studio-gallery on the New Jersey shore where many of his works were purchased by private collectors of marine art.

   Having always owned a small sailboat, he found the northern winters cut down the sailing season so in 1973 he moved to the sunny environs of Florida. Since then his diverse career has included his own gallery, architectural renderings along the Treasure Coast and paintings for galleries in New York and Los Angeles.

   It was a great loss to the marine arts community when Mr. Schafer passed away in April, 2004.