I have been interested in design and perspective since I was very young and began to draw and design as a hobby long before any formal art education was available to me. After receiving awards in high school art classes, I enrolled in the graphic design course at the vocational center during my senior year. I continued my education at Sauk Valley Community College and graduated with a BA in Visual Arts at NIU. My passion for design and eagerness to learn about it has continued to grow throughout my 17 years at Wahl Clipper.
Outside of my current position at Wahl Clipper, I have been sought out and hired several times to complete projects for businesses in my community. I have done a large variety of freelance projects for companies large and small. I have also won multiple online design contests and have consulted on projects with various design firms.
Managing projects at all levels in my current position has given me invaluable experience. I have also been involved with traveling to many national and international trade shows which displayed exhibits and projects that I designed. At Wahl Clipper I work closely with web developers, advertising agencies, product managers, print vendors and buyers, dealing with different substrates and forms of media while meeting deadline demands. I constantly submit work to many large publications through ad portals and FTP sites I have strong knowledge of customizing files to requirements for specific print vendors and publishers. Since I work in all areas of design, I have a strong understanding of file formats and how to prepare and structure them for different medias as well as the most efficient way to archive and store them. Due to Wahl Clipper being a global company, I often work with subsidiaries in China, Hungary, Germany and England for design projects being produced overseas. Recently, I worked with videographers to produce online instructional and product videos for YouTube, Facebook and other popular social media sites. I maintain Wahl Clipper’s web sites and work closely with our web developers, providing design ideas for billboard and web layout.
Personally, I enjoy the outdoors and have a great appreciation for wildlife. I decided to combine my love for the outdoors with design and began training in taxidermy. I opened my taxidermy shop 9 years ago and have managed to combine two things I love into one successful business.
I want to use my experiences to show unique perspective and individuality in the field of design. I now feel I need to take the next step in my design career by continuing to focus my talents towards a field I am strongly interested in, which, in turn, will influence my ability to produce quality work that comes from the heart.
I would be happy to meet with you to discuss my portfolio and have the opportunity to explain the ideas behind my creations.
I believe I can add a unique perspective by combining small town values and creative vision to help promote design. I hope you will consider employing me, as I feel I can help elevate your design needs.