ARTIST STATEMENT:

I’ve been creating all my life. As an only child, I had an amazing fantasy life that helped foster my imagination and creativity. I would love to draw out my daydreams and often those who saw my sketches would say I had inherited my skill for the arts from my mother. When I wasn’t drawing, I was writing my own stories or poems, playing flute, piano and later guitar and bass.

As I grew into adulthood, I knew that I wanted to do something with my artistic sensibilities. Art was always my favorite class in school and upon graduating in the early 90’s, I was fascinated by the emerging role artists were playing in the professional arena as graphic designers. While in college, the internet was just starting to gain wide spread use and this new format expanded what and how I create.

Today, my influences vary widely. I love the dark and disquieting images of Francis Bacon and at the same time, enjoy the lovely pastel hues and dreamlike imagery of Maxfield Parish. I think the common denominator is a theme of the ‘fantastic’… that which is more than ordinary or commonplace. Both elements of Art Nouveau, comic books and Asian prints are occasionally incorporated in my work so I would describe my style as illustrative versus painterly. I look to many ‘street’ (graffiti) artists for relevance and ideas when I need inspiration, such as Shepard Fairey and Banksy.

Now, after a dozen or so years in the field, I am still very much in love with design, art and the creative process. Part of my personal identity is very much connected to being a graphic designer… it’s a big part of who I am, where I’ve come from, my education and interests. I hope to continue to work in design, find new insights and skills and evolve steadily as a creator. I am excited to see what new methods, concepts and design trends are awaiting us in the future!