DESIGN:
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I have never felt like what I do fits into a nice and neat box. I am trained as a graphic designer, but have always been involved in many different aspects of art & design. From fashion to interiors, and furniture to accessories, I enjoy getting my hands into anything creative. Early on in my professional career, I noticed that most commercial artists and graphic designers acted more like lawyers than true artists. As designers we are unconsciously taught to emulate current design trends instead of taking creative chances. Few designers end up in a place or circle where self-expression in their design is encouraged. For me, I discovered it is more important to loosen up and throw design around like a kid with poster paints than it is to follow contemporary design rules and styles. To be happy I had to create my own balance between commercial graphic art and the broader, free-spirited community of art. I took chances and had wins and loses
I grew up with an arts & crafts type of mother who encouraged me to try anything creative. From candle making and decoupage, to jewelry making and tie-dye shirts, we did it all. When graffiti caught my imagination as a kid, it pulled me in feet first. That’s the moment I fell in love with the art of letterforms. This love brought me to logo design and led to an eventual education in graphic design. All the while I kept feeling the need to find outlets for the more physical end of my creativity. So, from silkscreen on t-shirts to leather-work on jackets and medallions in the 1980’s, to currently making hand sewn belts and hand painted buckles, making things with my hands was, and is, a necessary part of my creative purpose.
Art & design is in everything. Design is less about the contemporary emulation we constantly see over and over, and more about having a distinctive style that can be seen in a palatable piece for consumption. That is what I have tried to do with my work for the last two decades. Sometimes it really works and sometimes it really doesn't! But you have to take those chances… for better or for worse.
In this folder are other subfolders with pictures of my work in different areas of design. |
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