I was born in the wilds of Southern Illinois and grew up a lover of all things sci-fi and comic books. Looking back, it was that love of comics that led me to enjoying art and page layout design. At the age of twelve I was lucky enough to have an arts program in Junior High that was design focused, even though we called it “commercial art” at the time. That program progressed through High School and culminated with me enrolling in Southern Illinois University’s College of Technical Careers program for Commercial Graphics Design. It was a fantastic program that instilled an appreciation for thoughtful design that I still follow to this day. My design idols are Saul Bass and Paul Rand, with Rand being the most influential to my work. I see design as more craft than art, with loose rules that should be followed for “successful” design. If you break rules, have a reason for it. Logos should work in black and white and at reduced sizes. A page layout should lead the viewer. Design is ultimately a visual communication, and needs to be clear and concise. 

So that’s the professional side of me. The fun stuff is a love of food and cooking, comic books and the great sport of curling. I enjoy gardening and using those ingredients throughout the year in addition to local foraging and finding sources for locally raised and farmed products. Cooking is quite often more of an artistic expression for me than design. I still read comic books and love the medium even more as an adult, even though I hate the term Graphic Novel. My wife and I started curling in 2009 and have been members of clubs in Illinois and Wisconsin. I enjoy preparing ice at our club (think being a grounds keeper at a golf course) and traveling to various clubs around the country to participate in tournaments called bonspiels. 

Beyond cooking, comics and curling, my wife and I have spent the last 20 years welcoming rescue dogs into our family. We currently have two wonderful pittbull mixes named Rory and Teddy who fill our days and nights with joy and lots of eye rolls. They are the best.