Great advertising is a strong concept and targeted message held together by solid design. Of course mixing in a little rock n’ roll for fun never hurts.
Trained in traditional art, I’ve always had a love for early-American illustrators and how their impact on turn-of-the-century advertising influenced public perception. How Haddon Sundblom decided that Santa Claus should be a jolly, fat man. How Charles Dana Gibson invented the latest women’s hairstyles with the stoke of his pen. Illustrators and designers are a vital part of the advertising world, and I strive to make my own contribution in the footsteps of these talented minds.
My tools:
- Hunger to learn
- Healthy confidence
- Minimal ego
- Big sense of humor
Beginning my career as an art teacher, I quickly learned how to relate to some of the toughest clients out there – high school kids and their parents. And although teaching was definitely a challenge, I felt like I needed more. So after two years, I did a swan dive into the exciting world of advertising. A decade later, I’ve had the opportunity to work at inspiring agencies such as On Ideas, SwisherBurgos (aka Swisher + Company), Scott-McRae Advertising and Design Factory, winning more than 10 Addy Awards along the way.
Of course, agency life is never boring. But why stop there? My “extracurriculars,” if you will, range from co-launching the San Marco Magazine to judging the annual FACCS High School art competition. I’ve been a member of organizations such as AIGA, JAXMAC and ImpactJax, and my pro bono work includes acting design consultant for Downtown Vision, Inc., not-for-profit; and collateral design for The Pawfessionals, Jacksonville Humane Society’s young professionals group and for Volunteers In Medicine.
But don’t write me off as one of those black-rimmed-glasses wearing, too-cool-to-do anything-not-artsy types (that was seven hyphens in case you weren’t counting). I also play kickball, dance to rockabilly, collect all things Elvis and Beatles, lust over any Mustang, and seek out fine craft and import beers. Oh yeah… I’m complex.
I’m also currently looking for new inspiration, so look me up!
