A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, he also studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Vienna, Austria. He taught the first class in enameling in the United States, in 1935 at the Cleveland School of Art and later wrote three internationally acclaimed books on the subject. He is credited with finding simplified methods for applying enamel on copper, and inventing ways of putting enamel on large steel and aluminum plates.
His work has been in exhibitions around the world, and his enameled steel and copper murals are present in churches, restaurants, schools, and industrial buildings. The probably largest one is in Cleveland, Ohio, on St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Church.
Winter served as advisory editor of four art magazines and wrote over 200 articles on art. He gave lectures all over the U.S. and abroad.
