My Story

Looking back, I realize my parents molded me into an artist without even knowing it. My dad would sit with me and teach me how to draw muscle guys—blocky superheroes with oversized arms that seemed to leap off the page. My mom, on the other hand, showed me how to sew, teaching me patience and precision—how to turn scraps of fabric into something useful, even beautiful. My grandmother wrote poetry that lived in quiet notebooks, and my great-grandmother’s cross-stitch hung proudly on my mom’s wall as a reminder that art can be both delicate and lasting. My grandfather, an engineer by trade, balanced all that structure with a love for photography—showing me that creativity could be both technical and artistic, a bridge between the practical and the poetic.

From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to be an artist. Some kids collected baseball cards or learned to play an instrument—I collected sketchpads. I took after-school art lessons where the smell of sharpened pencils and tempera paint felt like home. I wrote poetry that was far too serious for a ten-year-old and filled notebooks with drawings of worlds that only existed in my imagination. My parents didn’t need to ask what I wanted to do when I grew up; the answer was already scribbled across every page, every doodle, every brushstroke.

Art wasn’t just a pastime—it was a compass. It guided me through childhood, pointed me toward design, and whispered to me that the world was more magical when you looked at it through the lens of creativity.

Twenty-five years ago, as a freshman in college, I had the rare chance to apprentice under a world-renowned kite maker, TC Powers. What began as a simple job quickly became something bigger—a lesson in craft, imagination, and the beauty of making something that could truly take flight. As far as I am concerned the the TC Ultra was the greatest quad line stunt kite ever invented. That early experience taught me a truth that has guided me ever since: creativity is not just about the object we create, but about the story, memory, and meaning we weave into it. Although that relationship faded I never lost my love for kite making. Although the Ultra is not being made anymore, my kites are a tribute to the amazing ingenuity of TC himself.

While in college, I also worked for an amazing interior designer, an opportunity i can not even explain, where I learned how creativity lives not just on the page or canvas, but in the very spaces people inhabit every day. After graduation, I continued that work, gaining a deeper appreciation for how design can transform environments, moods, and even lives. It was another reminder that art isn’t confined to a single medium—it’s a way of seeing and shaping the world around us. Even to this day I consider Mark Gazaway an amazing mentor and a great friend.

I went on to earn my BFA in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where my love of storytelling and design deepened. From there, I began teaching—first at the elementary level, nurturing young imaginations, and for the past decade as a high school graphic design teacher, helping students transform their ideas into meaningful, tangible work. Teaching has become as much a part of my creative practice as drawing, painting, or design—an extension of sharing the spark of creativity. 

Then came the pandemic. Practically overnight, it killed my kite business—the craft that had once launched me into this journey. But endings create openings. Instead of grounding me, that moment pushed me headfirst into technology. I dove into all things digital, and what began as survival quickly became a new chapter of exploration. I discovered new ways to tell stories—through books, through video games, through digital design, and through countless other creative experiments that blurred the line between art and innovation.

Writing and reading have always been another passion. I’ve spent time learning and sharing what I know about children’s book publishing, helping others understand the process of turning ideas into something real and lasting. Whether I’m writing for children, exploring science fiction, or sketching out a new design, storytelling has always been at the center of it all.

Which brings us here—to this website. And yes, I’ll admit it: this is 100% shameless self-promotion. It’s basically my creative yard sale. You’ll find books stacked next to video games, art prints leaning against children’s stories, and the occasional invention I swore would “change the world.” It’s part gallery, part workshop, part attic where I’ve shoved every project I couldn’t stop myself from making. Some of it’s polished, some of it’s experimental, and some of it may leave you wondering, “Does this guy ever sleep?” (Answer: not really.)

And through all of this, I’ve been lucky. Lucky enough to meet the love of my life, and together we created the other love of my life—my daughter. She is the truest reminder of why I make things in the first place: to leave behind sparks of imagination, stories worth telling, and proof that creativity, like love, is something meant to be shared. To see her little brain turning circles as she comprehends and imagines, grows and learns, is absolutely the the most amazing and beautiful thing I have ever experienced. 

Thank you for reading,

Me and My Two Favorite people