The Freelance Decade (1991-2001)

My first job out of college was teaching a drawing class at Booker High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Sarasota. At the same time, I was creating illustrations for local businesses around town. In 1992, I moved to Orlando, FL, which at the time was a bustling creative place for illustrators. From editorial and advertising to school publishing, I did a little bit of everything. I even got into the Society of Illustrators Annual in 1994 with an illustration that taught me one of the most important lessons of my career. Click here to read the story.

Over time, my client list grew to include:

Also, from 1998-1999, I worked at Harcourt School Publishers as a Freelance Designer working on Grade 3 reading books. I hired artists, managed the budget and learned so much about the process of making books it would make your head explode. What an experience!

Through it all, I was constantly experimenting, learning, and evolving—and with every project, I came a little closer to discovering my style and my true creative voice, which was deeply grounded in humor. Finally, in 2001, after a decade of sending postcard samples and being patient, I was contacted by Dutton Children’s Books to illustrate my first picture book.

Here’s some of my favorite work from this amazing decade, which includes a flame-farting dog, Elvis crossing, and stinky Bigfoot.