Being a digital artist has been one of the most
enriching experiences of my life. I am very lucky to have found a vocation
which makes me happy, one in which I look forward to every day with enthusiasm.
My grandmother used to tell me - "Find a job you love, and you will
never work a day in your life." It sure does not feel like work.
I got started in digital graphics from the artistic side, rather than the technical. I attended the School of the Worcester Art Museum after High School. They offered a Certification program that included a wide range of artistic disciplines and techniques, including, but not limited to Art History, two and three dimensional design, composition and layout, typography, ergonomics, as well as studio courses in a multitude of crafts, ceramics, photography, oil and acrylic painting, etc. I had supported myself by working in a number of area restaurants, and knew that I did not want to do that forever.
I then approached the State of Massachusetts, and joined
the Job Training and Placement Assistance Program (JTPA), which allowed
me to search for a high tech company willing to hire me and train me in
computer aided drafting (CAD). They provided half of my salary and some
education monies, and within two years I had mastered early CAD programs
like AutoCad & VersaCad. I fell in love with the computer as an artistic
tool, using the CAD software to produce line art, portraits and posters.
I then bought my first computer, back when an external 20Mb drive was
considered HUGE. I began using programs specifically designed to produce
art, like Photoshop, Illustrator and Freehand, among others. This was a
very exciting time for me, as I had struck out on my own, and was doing
corporate illustration & design for some rather well known companies.
I had also gotten involved with Public Acccess Cable, and was learning digital graphics tools that specifically applied to video production. I produced graphics and titles for several local programs, and won an award for a show that I produced, directed and hosted, called "Sensory Overload", a magazine format show offering local commentary and information. It was at this time that I began to teach myself HTML, and I began to branch out into Web design.
This led me to the newspaper industry, and I did a great deal of work for local publishers, compositing type and advertisements for numerous weeklies and some dailies. This was exciting work, and carried a rather hectic schedule, which I thrived upon.
Personal issues prompted a relocation, and I moved from my hometown of Worcester, MA to the small town of Ayer, and worked for the local papers there. Seeking new challenges, I hired on at Davis Design, a manufacturer of tradeshow booths. This allowed me to create large scale graphic images, craft corporate identity systems for some of New England's largest companies, and hone my digital skills on their website.
I joined MOD-TAP in March of last year, and became a one
man graphics department, having total control over and responsibility for
all corporate collateral materials, the tradeshow booth, and the website. I am
married, and have recently become a father, and my family & I are moving to
Holbrook in April, in order to be closer to Boston. MOD-TAP is moving it's
corporate headquarters to New Hampshire shortly, and I do not wish to commute
such a distance, and so I search anew for a position that will allow me
the opportunity to stretch and grow as an artist, and allow me to keep up
with the technologies that are rapidly re-defining our world.
