I am a graphic designer because it is the perfect combination of things I love. When you have a passion for making things and you find youself staring at a monitor all day by choice, it just makes sense. It took me a little while to figure it out but nearing graduation from SUNY Geneseo with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and minors in Art Studio and Sociology, I decided with certainty what I wanted to be when I grow up, and my heart has been in graphic arts since that day.

I returned to Binghamton and eagerly began taking classes at Broome Community College, graduating with an Associate of Arts degree in Graphic Design. Small class size allowed me to interact with professors and glean all I could from them. I was taught how to utilize graphics programs while exploring design history and concepts. I also enrolled in a basic HTML web design class, though I am mostly self-taught through various freelance projects.

My career in graphic design began at Brundage Publishing, a small publisher specializing in helping authors self-publish, as the sole graphic designer within a month of finishing school. I was responsible for anything graphics-related from printing out more business cards to designing book jackets. I had little choice but to learn fast and learn a lot. Working closely with authors challenged me to be flexible without compromising the end product.

I then took a position at Vail-Ballou Press, on the other end of the book spectrum, as an electronic pre-press technician. I preflighted files supplied to us by publishers and created file impositions to fit various printing press formats. In doing so, I learned the pros and cons of many file types and how to troubleshoot any issues that may arise from missing fonts to low-resolution art. One of the most important things that I learned is that informational resources are limitless— whether in a book, on the internet, or simply by asking someone. Too often we take our resources for granted and simply don't take the time to understand the process. There's a right way to do most things, and the right way translates into high quality.

I was last employed as a Graphic Artist at The Reporter Group, a non-profit Jewish newspaper publisher with newspapers in: Binghamton, NY - Syracuse, NY - Poughkeepsie, NY - Scranton, PA - Wilkes-Barre, PA & Stamford, CT. I worked with advertising representatives to design, edit and format advertisements for clients. I also optimized photographs for newspaper printing. Additionally, I was an integral part of design and development of the web site and was also responsible for weekly updates.

I am almost always at work on something outside of the normal 40-hour work week. Within the past year I have become an active Etsian, as both a seller and buyer. [Username: SureAsBlue] A successful 2008 calendar project led me to create a series of prints. They combine simple imagery with bold colors and are minimalistic in nature. I have since branched out to include greeting cards, postcards, and magnets. My items have been featured on many blogs and I have had a handful of items featured on the main page. A 2009 desk calendar is already up and ready for shipment.

Please view my resume (as a downloadable PDF file) for more information about my work history and qualities and check out the about section to catch a glimpse of me.