Though my mother and a cousin were fine arts majors - and, I always thought I'd follow suit - I followed a slightly different path.
In high school, I fell in love with the Graphic Arts program - printing. It was a wonderful process and a fascinating industry. I learned everything, including setting metal type and printing on a Heidelberg windmill, platen letterpress printing press. I don't recall the model, but I remember thoroughly enjoying working with it!
I entered the field at the beginning of the desktop publishing era, while still learning the original printing processes that came before it.
After high school, I applied to Madison Area Technical College for their Graphic Arts program, and stayed on a long waiting list for a year and a half (while working at a print shop and various other jobs). Not wanting to wait for my schooling any longer, I enrolled at MATC in Milwaukee in their Commercial Arts program - aka Graphic Design.
In 1993, I graduated with honors with an Associate Degree and went to work in the design department for a local business.
Since then, I have taught myself website design, some Flash programming, and various tidbits of web programming. I continue learning anything I can and enjoy working on crafts, art projects and do-it-yourself jobs in my so-called 'spare time'. For projects around the house, if I don't know how to do it, I pick up a book, or magazine, or search online to find out how to get it done and what tools I'll need to do it.
For me, it's the process of learning... of figuring out the puzzle and finding how the pieces all fit.
CaliCat Design has allowed me to be creative for a variety of different people and businesses. I get something new every day! But, I also enjoy working with a company and helping them move forward into new areas of marketing and commerce. I look forward to every new adventure life brings.
I take my work seriously, but always try to keep my humor and good spirits in everything I do. To me, without a little laughter in our lives, life would be simply boring.
My motto? "If you can't laugh at yourself, you're the only one not laughing."
