Since childhood, I have always been inspired to draw and design.  Most of my incentive to draw was to give my ideas a tangible form so that I could show others what I was thinking.  This ability to express ideas through design is still my main goal and driving motivator in my education and career.  I also believe that my interest in drawing stemmed from my love and appreciation of some of the media that influenced me.  I still gravitate towards the cartoon styles and vibrant colors that remind me of my childhood and integrate these elements into my work.

My creative process when designing starts with a strong concept.  Though I create many sketches and ideas, I always know almost exactly what I am going to do as soon as I have the perfect idea.  If this idea is for a digital design, I like to experiment in the program I will be working with.  I enjoy trying out new tools and techniques for every project I do.  Photography is often a big part of my work, both in the process and final design.  I try to take my own reference images when possible, as not to rely on the work of other artists.

The main goal in my work is to be successful in conveying the right amount of information in a design that stays relatively simple and memorable.  I believe that communication is the primary purpose of all graphic design, so it takes priority in my work.  Design is more important than ever with the graphic nature of the internet.  I work to make my designs suitable for both digital and physical mediums.  Another goal of my work is to combine the stylistic trends of different eras to create designs that are timeless.  Nostalgia is a theme in much of my work, and this combined with modern refinements and techniques results in designs that are familiar and unique.

I try to take the middle road between minimalism and maximalism.  I would describe the main traits of my work as bold, impactful, memorable, and clean.  Much of these elements are inspired by the graphic design work of the 1980’s and 90’s.  Illustration is often a part of my work, and it is what I enjoy doing the most.  When the opportunity arises, I tend to implement humor into my work, as I find that humor makes anything more memorable and stand out in a crowd.  I also find myself using characters often throughout my work as mascots of sorts.  These aspects of my design work are in stark contrast to my personal artwork, which tends to be gritty and realistic.  There are instances where these two styles combine, yielding some of my most unique work.