My first night in Arizona found me sleeping on the side of the road in my loaded pick-up truck, woken by lights shining in my face, surrounded by police officers with guns drawn and a command to “Get out of the truck with your hands up.” But, that’s a story for another day…

I was trained in old school techniques - hand rendered type, pen and ink, Dr. Martin’s dyes, colored pencils and airbrush were mainstream tools when I began my career. As technology revolutionized the commercial art world, I was an early adapter and embraced the opportunities presented by computer design and illustration. 

As the Creative Director for the city of Scottsdale, I touched every department and left a lasting legacy of creative accomplishments. Through collaboration, I created and designed city logos, monument marker signs, safety brochures, public announcement videos and so much more. How do you describe a lifetime of work in one sentence? I am so grateful for having created such a vast and diverse body of work and for being recognized with multiple awards from city, state and national organizations throughout my career.

Illustration has always been my passion. Bob Peak, Bernie Fuchs and Mark English were my early inspirations. As I’ve grown as an artist, I’ve been drawn to the past – artists from the WPA era and late 1950’s have defined my current approach to art. The clean, geometric lines of artists such as Joseph Binder, Abram Games, Charley Harper and Otis Shepard occupy space in my heart and mind today. 

Throughout my career, my ability to draw by hand has been the mainstay of my success. I always start with pencil and paper, rending my original designs and illustrations by hand and then transferring them to digital formats for completion in Adobe Illustrator.