I'm just a: Laid back, blue jeans kinda' guy...Specializing in 'Creative Endeavors'...

I began working in my brother's photography studio when I was about 15, doing about everything from darkroom work, studio setups, lighting, on-location work etc, etc...also, went for lunch, cokes, smokes etc. on my Raleigh 12 speed...(which by the way is the same bike that I rode on an east coast tour...a good friend and me...took off one morning and rode over 240 miles the 1st day...man my ass was sooo sore!...

At any rate, I went to design school (on my own), freezing in the winter, living off of peanut butter and crackers, riding my bike or G&S skateboard to classes...Since then:

...I've worn down my share of Prismacolors, pencils, pastels, etc...I went to work as a T-shirt designer then I worked as a freelance illustrator for years, working mainly for agencies and magazines...I did alot of natl. work, then I took a job as art director for 'Inside Winston Cup Racing' ( a TV show on TNN) and did the 3-D Animation intros for the show etc, plus all the print work...

Then something happened, I realized I really didn't like the corporate world and didn't really like Racin'...so, after a summer off building a swingset for my son, and restoring a custom VW bug, I sat up in the middle of the night and realized what I wanted to do...I started by designing my 6-color logo..'Inland Oceans Marine Aquarium Company'...'Inland Oceans' for short...God almighty that was soo cool...I built a custom reef aquarium showroom...I designed all the custom cabinetwork, and helped my good friend master cabinetbuilder 'Jeff' building all the cabinets...it was truly incrdible...It was like I had my very own public aquarium, before I knew it, I was propogating live coral and watching African clownfish go through the entire mating, egg-laying and hatching lil' baby clownfish every two weeks...BUT...I had to deal with employees and idiots that came thru my retail store...the trade shows, etc...and did I mention the thieving, lying, ungrateful and lazy-ass employees?...Also, the govenment...geez...the taxes, unemployment, social security ,etc, etc, etc...it was just too much, but I kept it up for a decade...the straw that broke it all tho...aside from the wealthy clients that took forever to pay their bills...it was this: I was and had always been an ARTIST...I thought my clients realized that they had purchased a living work of my art that I had poured my love, life and sweat into...but no, I was referred to as 'THE FISH GUY'...I lost all interest in the business...I still love the reef creatures, the fish, the corals...but not the rest of it...except I do miss the evenings, when the twilights were on...just me and all my thriving reef displays...I miss those moments...and think of that time often...

I missed creating 'art'...after looking into where the industry was, I realized the whole thing was going digital and that's what I did too...I took on a huge freelance job and jumped in over my head into the digital world, basically learning Adobe Illustrator as I worked on the account...I spend a lot of time with Photoshop, Illustrator etc...and last year completed an 18 month gig...get this: designing for the Nascar industry!...talk about full circle...

At any rate...much, much, much happened through those years...I lost my brother to cancer...my dad too...went through a divorce etc, etc...

Now, I have a cat named Sugar , my son's in college & I'm in the process of starting a new studio...I would really like to find someone to work with me in this endeavor...but in the meantime, I'm gonna' keep on...and see where I go and what's around the next corner...

Thanks....and Hello all!...