What I Do

I have been a professional artist and teacher for over thirty years. I came from a small town not known as a center for creative activity, but one where a strong work ethic and sense of accomplishment prevailed among the hard working population. Coupling the notion of hard work, a creative outlook, flexibility and a desire to approach projects from a different point of view, allowed me to begin a successful career in art. 
   These experiences have provided me with the rare opportunity to interact successfully with a broad spectrum of commercially proficient professionals and students working in a variety of media ranging from traditional painting, drawing and sculpture through current digital manipulations. Additionally, my own studies and experimentation have provided me the practical knowledge and understanding of what makes great composition, proper contrast, technical skill, work ethic and craftsmanship. The blend of these attributes and a driven desire to create can contribute to the generation of wonderful works of art.

I am an Associate Professor of Illustration in the School of Art at Rochester Institute of Technology. I earned my MFA degree from Syracuse University and have been in the illustration and graphic design business since 1974 with the majority of my experience as a studio owner. My specialty as an illustrator is three-dimensional. My work is produced as relief sculpture in paper or mixed media and then photographed with lighting to reveal the textural qualities of the materials I use. As an illustrator, the subject matter I deal with varies widely and is dependent on the needs of my clients. 

   My work has been commissioned by clients including Kodak, Xerox, Mobil, DuPont, Holt Rinehart and Winston, Citibank, Federal Reserve Bank, Dunn and Bradstreet, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Nalge Company, Time, Habitat for Humanity and Fisher-Price Toys.
   My dimensional illustrations have been exhibited in shows including the Society of Illustrators and the Dimensional and Digital Illustrators Awards Show. I served as a member of the board of directors for ICON4 (the Illustration Conference) during 2005 in San Francisco and serve as a member of the Board of Directors of Wayne County Council for the Arts, Inc. In the Fall of 2007 I was curator of an exhibition at RIT entitled “Pop Up Books: An Interactive Exhibition” featuring the mechanics, creativity and production of commercially produced Pop Up books.
   Currently, I am thinking about Montana and working on my own Pop Up book. Very soon I'll be doing as much fly fishing as humanly possible.