The picture of me to the left was taken by my daughter, Evie, in early 2003 when she was 3.

I'm 35, 6'4" tall, married for 10 years with 2 kids. I've lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 27 years.

I've been drawing and painting pictures constantly since I was about 3. For as long as I can remember, you couldn't put a pen or pencil in my hand without me doodling an eye, a face, a spiral, a space ship. My first illustrated "book" I made when I was six. It was a wild story about an alien who comes to Earth to learn to surf. He had one big eye, huge toes (great for hanging 10), and whose best friend was a bird with a space helmet. Ever since then I've been hooked on writing stories and making stories live through images.

Because of this passion, I studied Literature, Film and Television, and Art at the University of California at Santa Cruz. The combination of those focal points, (two of which I majored in) plus my interest in computers, lead me to several interesting places. I've gone from producing Video Games to making 3D Animation, but my love has always been the image and how it relates to the word. As an illustrator and designer, I've found a comfortable home.

I was born in Utah, but moved to California when I was 9. I feel the influences of both places very strongly in my work. My ancestors were all Mormon Pioneers. Though I am not Mormon, I have great respect for those who passed such distances and hardships to settle in two amazingly beautiful lands, Utah and San Francisco (one of the very first ships to dock in early San Francisco, the Brooklyn was chartered by Mormon pioneers).

I currently live in the Sunset District of San Francisco, the first place I have really felt at home since I was very young. It has all the advantages I could want in a neighborhood.

For the last two years I have been working on a very large project which included over 500 illustrations. During that time I have been using the Canvas Cafe as my "studio", working from my lime iBook with painted crimson flames. With a Wacom graphics tablet, a cup of coffee and a pair of headphones, I can work anywhere. I draw directly into the iBook using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Painter. The iBook has given me a freedom I never imagined was possible.

I also work in traditional media, particularly enjoying watercolors and oils. I love the freedom that oils have, the forgiveness that it has allowing you to rework an image over and over until you find the magic.

I also love the opposite about watercolor, how if you overwork anything, it becomes muddy and worthless. The two media fit the two sides of my personality, the joy I feel with absolute freedom, and the love of the challenge of working through constraints.

to be continued...