A purple cow, that is my earliest memory of art in my life. I was in kindergarten and my teacher handed out a picture of a photocopied cow for each of us to color. I colored mine purple. When I was finished, my teacher told me that a cow couldn’t be purple and that I had to stay in during recess to re-color my cow. I survived my first critique and went on to develop a love of art. In high school I discovered photography, which led me to receive my BFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in Photography from the University of Arizona. I enrolled in my first graphic design class to fill an elective requirement, not knowing what graphic design was. From the very first project I found a true excitement for the field. I realized that so many of the art projects and crafts that I had enjoyed in the past were all related or came back to design.

My goal in receiving my MFA in graphic design is to build my confidence in entering the work field. While I took as many graphic design classes in college as I could without being a design major, I still feel I have a lot to learn to be the competent and creative designer that I strive to be. In all I do, I endeavor to be the best that I can be and it is no different for me with design. I want my work to rise above the commonplace. My general manager recently told me that I expect too much out of myself but I beg to differ. I expect to reach my full potential by being hardworking, dedicated, and creative.

After college I worked as an intern for an Advertising Agency and then received a job as a Production Artist for Masterpieces Puzzle Company in Tucson, AZ. I was able to create two line looks during my time there as well as a Leap Frog Puzzle that is currently on the market. Graphic design to me though is not just a job, it is a part of me. I see design all around me…imagining how an ad or piece of work might be manipulated to make the idea it is trying to portray just a little clearer. I have continued to design through projects at work such as our menus and advertisements. My latest project has been the design and execution of wedding invitations.

Going to art school for my Bachelors degree taught me a lot…I now know that a cow can be purple, my kindergarten teacher was wrong. I learned that critiques get even worse than being told you have to stay in at recess. I learned that I have a passion for design and that there is a creative outlet for that passion. And, I’ve learned that the next step in my art career is to continue my education and receive my Master’s of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.