I try to draw as well as I can, to trust my eyes more than my brain and my soul more than my eyes. My personal art is drawn or painted freehand from observation, imagination, or my own previous sketches, using traditional media.

One function of art is to relate spiritual life to the changing, physical world. Good, honest art can encourage a deeper experience of being human.An artist's natural voice emerges slowly over time with sincere effort and study just as water will seek its level. Empathy and honest expression are more important to me than achieving technical greatness or personal recognition.While many pursuits are constrained by the consent, support, and direction of others; there is an empowering freedom in a blank sheet of paper. When a tree has fallen in the forest and no one is there to hear it, the tree has fallen just the same.

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I sometimes make freehand drawings from photos of public figures as an exercise to sharpen my ability to record accurately from observation. This helpful since it is easy to judge if I have achieved a recognizable likeness.

Since these works are derivative in nature, I make no copyright claim to them as my original work.

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Since 1983, I have worked in commercial graphic arts.My professional life began as a paste-up artist and delivery person for a small, now-defunct ad agency in Columbus, Mississippi. This was followed by a career that has included illustration and production art for both television and print; digital prepress; graphic design; and art direction. I have also supplemented my income with occasional freelance assignments.Ironically, one of my reasons for going into graphics and illustration as a career, was to avoid computers and technology.My employers have included a statewide public broadcasting network, a large regional grocery chain, a mail-order house specializing in marketing materials for medical professionals, a local print shop, an optometric buying group, and a government agency that deals with employment issues.Commercial art is a skilled trade with its own creative aspect. With some exceptions, this is not personal self-expression. This vocation's aims are most often directed by clients to represent their message and address their audiences in a persuasive and sometimes, artful manner. In many ways, it is often the functional opposite of fine art.

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Experience Summary

Over 40 years of professional experience in diverse areas including marketing, production, television, illustration, prepress, web design, content management, and extensive work in commercial graphic arts and publication; strong sense of service and responsibility to stakeholders; problem solving skills focused on responsive stewardship of assigned duties and their results; flexible and adaptive to changing demands in the workplace, evolving processes, and sensitive or critical deadlines

Career Notes and Accomplishments

Planning, design, and production of communications products and graphics for Mississippi Department of Employment Security, including printed and digital work for both internal and external distribution, use, or publication; collaboration with internal clients, management, and staff to define and achieve goals, ensure accuracy of information, and for approval for release for publication; maintenance of archives of communications documents; management of agency’s brand identities and logos; routing of press inquiries and public media requests to appropriate agency staff; content management and graphic design for the agency’s website; writing and preparation of internal and external messaging; photography and videography; coordination of production and purchases of printing and other communications focused productsArt Direction, design and preparation of advertisements, newsletters, and other marketing collateral for HMI Buying Group, including website development projectsPrepress and Graphic design for Cain LithographersConcepts, design, and illustration of marketing materials for catalog sales to dental, optometric, chiropractic, and veterinary private practices; production, art direction, and proofing of catalogs; products including postcards and a large assortment of printed and specialty advertising products available for personalizationDesign, film output, prepress, photo retouching, color correction, scanning, photography archive management and other responsibilities for Jitney Jungle for the production of weekly grocery tabloid advertisementsIllustration, graphic design, storyboards, hand drawn and stop motion animation, planning and direction of program openers and on air graphics, publication design, and other supporting art and design using both digital and traditional methods and technology while at Mississippi ETV (now Mississippi Public Broadcasting)Novice to journeyman graphic design and commercial art experience at Golden Graphics in Columbus, Mississippi, prior to the industry adoption of personal computers

Skills and Types of Work

Production of a wide range of printed and digital communications and marketing products including brochures, flyers, booklets, books, posters, videos, photography, photo retouching and preparation, publication design, mass emails, web graphics, social media posts, writing, and message preparationUse of industry standard Adobe graphic arts and other communications applications, primarily on Macintosh computersCoordination for delivery of communications products with internal support staff or outside vendors including specification, production artwork, proof approval, and coordinating purchases

Employment History

Mississippi Department of Employment Security
Jackson, Mississippi
June 2024 – Present, Communications Director
2021 – 2024, Communications Staff Officer II
2007 – 2021, Communications Staff Officer IHMI Buying Group
Vicksburg, Mississippi
2001 – 2007, Art DirectorCain Lithographers
Jackson, Mississippi
2000 – 2001, Graphic Arts and PrepressHayes Marketing, Inc. (HMI Practice Resource)
Vicksburg, Mississippi
1999 – 2000, Art DirectorJitney Jungle Stores of America
Jackson, Mississippi
1993 – 1999, Assistant Art Director and Lino Production ManagerMississippi Educational Television
Jackson, Mississippi
1987 – 1993, Illustrator/Designer and Graphic Arts SpecialistGolden Graphics
Columbus, Mississippi
1983 – 1987, Graphic Designer, Production Artist, and Delivery Person

Education

Mississippi State University
1983, Bachelor of Arts in Commercial Art