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Artist Statement: I was born in Burlington, lA and grew up in New London. After living on a farm for seven years, we moved to town. At the age of 13 I began working at The New London Farmers Cooperative part-time and full-time in the Summers. I always had an interest in art, but didn't know how to tum it into a career. My high school art teacher said there wasn't a lot of opportunity for artists in Southeast Iowa, so after graduation I attended Southeast Iowa Community College and studied business, accounting and other related courses. I then attended Iowa Wesleyan in Mt. Pleasant continuing my business studies. I was offered a position with a large insurance company as a statistician but declined, returning to my job as a truck driver.
My employer suggested I look into the Commercial Art Program at The Hawkeye Institute of Technology in
Waterloo. Moving to Cedar Falls and attending Hawkeye in Waterloo I became part of the Vocational Industrial
Club of America or VIC A. I received a gold medal in the State of Iowa Skill Olympics in 1973. All competitors
were given an art assignment and a designated amount of time to complete that project. I then had to compete at
the national level which was held in San Antonio in 1974. I placed second in the nation and was named The
Outstanding Student during Hawkeye graduation ceremonies.
I was then hired by Hellman Associates in Waterloo which was an art studio/ad agency and became part of the
Illustration Dept. For the next 25 years I completed thousands of illustrations for hundreds of national clients,
such as Better Homes and Gardens, Iowa Lottery, John Deere, IBM, 3M, Budweiser, Coors and many, many
others.
I received awards from The Iowa Art Directors Club and had work accepted and published by
The New York Society of Illustrators, The Best of Airbrush Illustration and others.
This all ended on Dec. 31 of 1995 when I was taken to the hospital in Cedar Falls and diagnosed with
bacterial meningitis. The doctors put me into a medically induced coma and during this time I had a stroke. I
was later told that thanks to prayer I came out of the coma and was transferred to another hospital for
rehabilitation.
My employer suggested I learn digital art, but then informed me the Illustration Department was ending.
Fortunately I had long term disability insurance which allowed me to start over, doing what I enjoy today.
My employer suggested I look into the Commercial Art Program at The Hawkeye Institute of Technology in
Waterloo. Moving to Cedar Falls and attending Hawkeye in Waterloo I became part of the Vocational Industrial
Club of America or VIC A. I received a gold medal in the State of Iowa Skill Olympics in 1973. All competitors
were given an art assignment and a designated amount of time to complete that project. I then had to compete at
the national level which was held in San Antonio in 1974. I placed second in the nation and was named The
Outstanding Student during Hawkeye graduation ceremonies.
I was then hired by Hellman Associates in Waterloo which was an art studio/ad agency and became part of the
Illustration Dept. For the next 25 years I completed thousands of illustrations for hundreds of national clients,
such as Better Homes and Gardens, Iowa Lottery, John Deere, IBM, 3M, Budweiser, Coors and many, many
others.
I received awards from The Iowa Art Directors Club and had work accepted and published by
The New York Society of Illustrators, The Best of Airbrush Illustration and others.
This all ended on Dec. 31 of 1995 when I was taken to the hospital in Cedar Falls and diagnosed with
bacterial meningitis. The doctors put me into a medically induced coma and during this time I had a stroke. I
was later told that thanks to prayer I came out of the coma and was transferred to another hospital for
rehabilitation.
My employer suggested I learn digital art, but then informed me the Illustration Department was ending.
Fortunately I had long term disability insurance which allowed me to start over, doing what I enjoy today.
