Artist Statement
Over the past few decades digital techniques using computers have displaced much of the use of traditional art mediums used in the production of illustrations, such as paint and brushes.
I began my 45+ year career as a professional artist after falling in love with handmade illustration. Using traditional mediums, I illustrated six children’s books and a series of wildlife and fantasy illustrations.
Teaching art is another of my life long passions, and it also began with me teaching traditional art mediums. When the desktop publishing revolution took over, I embraced its potential and began teaching computer graphics at the high school and college levels. Eventually, I began teaching at Walt Disney Feature Animation supporting production of the movie Pocahontas, during the golden age of hand-drawn cel animation. There I was able to combine my love of hand drawn animation with the computer system which scanned the pencil drawings and background paintings, painted the cels, and combined them to form the final digital images.
When computer generated movies by Pixar became all the rage, the Disney studio decided to drop hand-drawn animation. It was a very sad time, but it was my responsibility as Manager of Computer Training to oversee the retraining of the entire animation crew transitioning from hand-drawn cel animation to CGI.
I tried my hand digitally painting a children’s book for Walt Disney Publishing using Adobe Photoshop. I then continued my digital work illustrating three technical books on space science using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
The digital art vs. traditional debate is an old one. I see them as equal, but different. The computer is just another medium, equal to any other. But it does produce a look and impact different from traditional mediums.
That said, I have been surrounded by digitally created illustration for so long that it seems like a nice change to focus on traditional illustrated artwork.
On exhibit at Summerlin Library form June 24, 2025 through September 16, 2025
Monday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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