The Haircut and the Saguaro
I guess I got it from my parents. Early in her career, my mother was a portrait photographer. And my father was a career artist, painting scenes of the Southwest in acrylic. Though I’ve never spent much time in front of an easel, my inherited creativity was obvious at an early age. I recall a visit to see my father in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age of fifteen. I had just finished a black and white photography class at St. Louis Community College. My father validated my interest in photography by taking me to the desert during one of those incredible Arizona sunsets. That evening, he turned me on to the beauty of the desert, tripods and the bulb exposure setting on my new 35mm camera. He and I captured beautiful pictures together that night, and I am grateful for his encouragement. I still love the desert to this day, and visit as often as I am able.
After receiving my Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Illinois University, my mother persuaded me to shorten the length of my hair for the job hunt. After several minutes in the chair, the new stylist put me in contact with a friend of hers, who worked in a local pre-press shop, Designer Color Systems. The following week, DCS hired me. My parents were happy campers, to say the least. That haircut set me on the course that brought me to where I am today.
I learned a lot both professionally and personally during my extensive career at DCS, which eventually became part of Vertis Communications. I advanced rapidly and excelled in proofing, scanning, color correction, swatch matching, retouching, color management, high-end image manipulation, data management, high-volume print catalog production and page assembly. Once Photoshop entered my bloodstream, I knew that I had found yet another avenue to demonstrate my creativity. Photoshop melded well with my interest in photography. And it is through Photoshop and Illustrator that I possess strong digital retouching, composition and photo illustration skills. I learned that keen attention to detail, an ability to communicate well, and a passion for perfection positioned me well for this line of work. Creating realistic images and illustrations from various photographic and vector components became my focus and expertise.
I currently live and work as a freelance digital artist in St. Louis, Missouri, offering graphic arts services to advertising and marketing agencies and commercial photographers in the St. Louis area and beyond. I bring passion, creativity, dedication and an eye for detail to every project I am awarded. I’ve worked with St. Louis’ largest and most well known agencies and commercial photographers. I also offer assistance to commercial photographers in studio and on location. I am a member of the American Society of Media Photographers as well as the National Association of Photoshop Professionals.