I was able to learn my core graphic design skills at a small print shop in Vermont. I was involved with creating custom tees, town reports, and marketing pieces for small businesses. I learned a lot about composition, color separation, and using supporting imagery.

From the small print shop, I moved my way to a faster-paced marketing department at Stratton Mountain Resort. There I produced collateral for the mountain and got an intense education on corporate branding and creating relationships with large commercial printers and photographers.

After spending a couple of years at the mountain I moved to Florida to follow love and the sun. I got a job working at Miles Media, a large marketing company that focuses on travel and tourism. At Miles Media, I was put to the test juggling many projects and building relationships with clients to create printed pieces highlighting their townships for tourism revenue. I was also part of an art team where we strategized and leaned on each other’s expertise to meet tight deadlines.

Missing the snow, yearning to head back North, and gearing up for marriage, I moved to Rochester. I had my sights on the largest employer in town, the University of Rochester. I obtained employment at the U of R in the Department of Surgery at the Medical Center where I have been managing internal communications, printed marketing pieces, web management and design, and social media marketing.

My journey has been well-rounded and my growth has been an organic movement forward building on my passions and skills.

I have a natural penchant for organization. I believe that this skill helps me to design within digital or physical boundaries. I strive to create an exciting experience when visiting a site, looking at a page, or even reading a tweet. I feel that less is more when it comes to digital art. Bold images and clear, concise wording without a lot of unnecessary messaging is what I use as a model.

I recently acquired a graduate certificate in “on-line teaching and learning”. I earned 15 graduate credits while learning about pedagogy and tools necessary to build and/or teach online courses. My skills as a graphic designer blend well with the multimedia tools required to communicate with a learning audience. For my final project, I designed a fully online 8-week course on “Health and Wellbeing”. The course had five students and I was able to monitor their progress while keeping them engaged with the content and each other. It was a wonderful experience and enriching to expand my skills in interacting with learning communities.

During my time in Vermont, I was fortunate to work with Robert DuGrienier at DuGrienier Associates, Inc. where I learned the art of building three-dimensional sculptures. It was a hands-on experience using power tools to sculpt and build, a sandblaster to etch fine text and images into crystal and glass, and an education involving UV adhesives to layer and stabilize the art pieces.

I enjoy the process of creating art by building compositions with colors and shapes. I have explored print-making throughout my life and have thoroughly enjoyed the process. I would like to make my way back to that art form in the future, but for now, I draw and sketch.