blog
Ocean Outpost at Sandy Bay, Jamaica
My inner pirate was incredibly excited to be commissioned by Melody Matheny of Melody Matheny Designs to create two huge murals for a newly developed mixed-use space at CHUKKA's Ocean Outpost. The first mural I created was for an 8'x28' wall and depicted the 160-acre property as it would have looked in 1746; the second mural was for the ceiling of the same space, and depicted many of the native species one should be on the lookout for when exploring the property. Both murals were rendered in the style of a mid-1700s map, with thousands of intersecting ink lines and lots of hidden illustrative details.
Loneliness
I've designed several editorial covers in my ongoing relationship with Angelus Magazine, and LA-based publication with a readership of 175,000 people each week. This one, however, felt particularly close to home, as it deals with something I am constantly faced with in my counseling work: the epidemic of childhood and adolescent loneliness.
Mural - SunCoast Primate Sanctuary
I was connected with the new ownership of SunCoast Primate Sanctuary, who have been working to refurbish the exhibits of several of their resident chimpanzees. They asked me to create a mural for one chimp in particular, named Bobby.
Tiki-Natti
Tiki-Natti was an art installation I designed for Fishbowl at the Banks, a tiki-themed bar and nightclub in Cincinnati's popular Banks area. The bar was expanding - an incredible achievement when so many bars were going out of business during the Spring of 2021 - and I wanted to design something cool for them to celebrate and set them apart.
'Fight for Family Movie Night'
I've designed several covers for Angelus Magazine over the years, but my favorite to date is actually this one, which accompanied a cover story entitled, "The Fight for Family Movie Night". The topic of the piece appealed to my psych background, as it argued that family movie night can not only be a fun source of entertainment, but a valuable and equalizing bonding activity.
BanaSun Character Design
To increase their business and refine their brand, the owners of BanaSun Smoothie Bar tasked me with proposing a series of mascot characters. Designed both to appeal to children and to represent different components of what they hoped would someday constitute a lifestyle brand.
The George Ghost Sign
In November of 2020, I was hired to design and install a mural of sorts at The George, a new combination music venue/recording studio in my childhood hometown. Venue creator Bob Rice commissioned a “ghost sign” (that is, a faux distressed vintage sign) on a brick wall on the stage.
Angelus Magazine
2020, though it impacted negatively many budgets, was thankfully no different in terms of our capacity for collaboration. I designed two covers in a row: the first was for their November election special, and the second was for an issue debating respectful social media usage.
OSV Kids Illustration
For the premier issue of OSV Kids - a children's magazine designed by America's oldest Catholic publisher, Our Sunday Visitor - I was asked to illustrate a scene depicting Christ’s calling of the disciples.
Aquinas 101
Aquinas 101 is the title of a video series created by the Thomistic Institute in order to promote thomistic philosophy to a wider audience. These videos in their first season featured several visually complex animated illustrations per episode. As the Institute entered their second season, though, they sought out a new creative team who could help them diversify the visuals while remaining flexible and financially competitive.
Save Local Waters Project
Each year, the Regional Storm Water Collaborative of South West Ohio and Northern Kentucky partners with the Cincinnati Zoo to raise money and awareness for the care of watersheds in the Ohio River Valley. In 2020, I contributed a custom-designed rain barrel to support this project.
God the Father and the Best Day Ever
God the Father and the Best Day Ever was authored to help children develop a personal relationship with the first person of the Christian Trinity. When the oldest Catholic publisher in the country asked me to illustrate the book, I jumped at the chance to bring the text to life and portray God in a new way.
Mermay 2020
Each year the grassroots creative challenge known as “MerMay” invites artists around the world to creatively respond to a mermaid-related prompt each day in May. I use the opportunity to stretch myself creatively and keep my skills sharp for client work.
Pabst Blue Ribbon
In 2020 I participated in Pabst Blue Ribbon’s annual Art Can Contest inviting artists to reimagine Pabst’s classic beer can design.
Inktober 2019
Each year the grassroots creative challenge known as “Inktober” invites artists around the world to creatively respond to a different prompt each day in October. I use the opportunity to stretch myself creatively and keep my skills sharp for client work.
Angelus Magazine: California Missions
Inspired by the response to our first collaboration, Angelus commissioned me to design another cover, this one for an issue exploring the complex legacy of Saint Junípero Serra.
Animals…In…Space!
I designed these three animals for the birth of my friend’s first son, to be displayed in porthole inspired frames on the nursery wall. An aerospace engineer, he wanted his son to have a playfully-space-themed room.
Christmas Charity Prints
In December, 2018 the Pittsburgh chapter of the professional association for design (AIGA) invited illustrators throughout the city to contribute original designs that would be carved and turned into stamps for a free printmaking event for Pittsburgh locals.
Cafe Fiona
Cafe Fiona is a themed restaurant designed hypothetically for the Cincinnati Zoo as part of my Masters thesis in interdisciplinary design. Inspired by the Zoo’s famous hippo, Fiona, this eatery allows guests to eat “with” Fiona while learning about human/nature impact.
Paul & His Friends
I illustrated the book Paul and His Friends: A Child's First Book About the Apostles". Written by Rebecca Hutto and published through Paraclete Press, ‘Paul and His Friends” introduces children to the colorful characters who formed the early Church. My illustrations recast these characters as a menagerie of Middle Eastern animals.