Ringling School of Art & Design (1987-1991)
I started at Ringling School of Art and Design (now Ringling College of Art and Design), in Sarasota, Florida in the Fall of 1987. There, I began taking myself and my art very seriously, and even paid my own tuition. I was like a sponge, soaking up every lesson, critique, and opportunity I could find. My influences ranged from master artists like Rembrandt, Picasso and Chagall, to contemporary illustrators (at the time) like Paul Davis, Brad Holland and Drew Struzan.
I pushed myself to learn as much as possible, experimenting, practicing, and absorbing everything around me. And I grew—both as an artist and as a person—in ways I never could have expected. Now I was drawing mostly from life and that made all the difference in my growth. Under the keen eyes of instructors like Larry Kresek, Patrick Fiore, and Regan Dunnick, I earned two Society of Illustrators scholarships and received the school’s President’s Award in my final year. I was working hard to create more conceptual pieces and combine my drawing skills with my sense of humor, as you can see in the later work. After all, what’s not funny about corn wearing a hat?
Then, in my final year, I took a children’s book class and was told I had a real knack for it. Looking at the work below totally makes me cringe, but I was learning!
I also served as head instructor for the Youth Program for two summers, and it was there that I really connected with working with children. Looking back, it’s amazing to realize that those experiences helped shape the career I would spend my life pursuing.
Right before graduation in 1991, I tried getting hired by studios like Disney, Hallmark, and American Greetings but nothing worked out. At the time, it felt discouraging—especially while many of my classmates were landing jobs. But in hindsight, it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.
Being a freelance illustrator became my path forward.
