I was born and raised in Iowa City, IA. After high school I moved to Seattle, where I studied both fine art and computer animation at the University of Washington. This led to a job at small game studio doing concept art and animation, while also using my nights and weekends to create work for gallery shows.
But after years of splitting my time between these two pursuits, I eventually felt worn out and began looking for a more unified approach. I’ve always been a fan of editorial and book illustration, and it seemed like a logical way to combine the collaborative problem-solving from my gaming background with the visual aesthetic I developed through my personal work. After moving to New Zealand for a year, I returned stateside to pursue a masters degree in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. And now three years later I’m living and working in Brooklyn as a freelance illustrator.
Much of my work features imagery drawn from my Midwestern upbringing, combining bold colors, dramatic lighting, and a strong emphasis on drawing.
