An illustrator for all seasons.
My career started in theatre, as an actor on the stage. That plays in later in the story. Early in college, I discovered that I loved working behind the scenes as much as I liked the spotlight. I apprenticed as a scenic artist at Tri-Cities Opera before attending SUNY Fredonia to earn a BFA in Theatrical Design, focus scenic and costume design.
With my degree fresh and ink still wet, I was hired by Wells College to teach Theatre Tech and Design. The position gave me the opportunity to design with various companies, directors, and shows in and around Ithaca. It also continued my own education because truly: No one learns so much as the teacher. During that time, I discovered that the methods I had learned to get inside a character's head for acting were just as useful for design, for who better knows what they will wear or how their apartment would look?
After being laid-off from Wells College (who decided to allocate their resources to science) I relocated to the western Washington, which had all the scenic designers it wanted or needed. I turned to my skills and talents asking "What else can I do?" Illustration was an easy fit: Creating scenes and characters to help tell a story. More: The imagination is the limit with illustration as it doesn't need to be built for stage by opening night.
My acting training is still a deep part of my process for creating. It informs the gestures and expressions of the characters, the deeper history of the backgrounds, and defines the moment to show within any given page. Now back in the Northeast, with winter approaching, I am seeking the projects that will inspire me through the long, dark, cold months.
Work Terms
I am fairly open to negotiating and working with my clients to work in a way that is most efficient for them.