I was born and raised on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, located off the coast of Massachusetts.  My household was brimming with art and creativity, my father (Donald) was a painter and illustrator, my mother (Carol) is a writer, and my bother (Christopher) pursued the performing arts.  Creating things just seemed natural, I could entertain myself for hours on end as a child, drawing monsters and building giant castles out of building blocks.  A good thing, too, as an island can be a little isolating at times!

My parents were a children’s book writer/artist team, I had the fairly uncommon opportunity to be exposed to the world of publishing at an early age.  Many of my brother’s and my childhood adventures even got translated into books!   I would hear the stories in their earliest of phases and see them develop into polished manuscripts, I would see my dad’s sketches turn into full fledged paintings.  I got to visit publishing houses in New York and watch my parents give lectures around the country.  It’s no wonder I became an illustrator!

As school came to an end each year, our family would rent out our house and head up to northern Vermont for the summer.  Between the Island and the wooded Green Mountains, my parents shared with me their appreciation of nature, something I have held dear ever since.  I still go up there whenever I get the chance.

As I got a little older, I discovered role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons.  I found it to be a great way to exercise my imagination, and it was a unique an wonderful way to creatively collaborate with friends.   The illustrations inspired me greatly, I’d gaze at them in awe and wonder.... imagine working for those companies!?!

After High School, I attended the Rhode Island School of Design, earning a BFA in illustration.  Going to an art school in a city after living on an island was a real eye opener for me.  I think my creative interests painted me as a little “weird” in high school, but this was far from the case in art school!  The student body was about as varied and diverse as one could imagine, if not more, and people could feel more free to be themselves... or at least try and figure out who they are.

Before graduation, I decided I ought to get some illustration jobs to get my feet wet.  It made sense for me to pursue a genre I was most familiar with... the role playing games I enjoyed throughout my youth.  Sooner than I knew it, I was creating hundreds of pieces of art for the very same companies I admired as a kid!

While in Providence, I started reading the works of H.P. Lovecraft, a gothic horror & science fiction  writer from the 30’s who lived in the very same city.  That added a nice extra level of meaning to be mere blocks from where many of the stories took place.  Wouldn’t you know it, there’s a role playing game based on Lovecraft’s writing as well.  This quickly became a specialty of mine, something just clicked in me and things fell into place.  It probably has something to do with all the monsters!

In 1989, my father passed away and my mother was left without an illustrator for her stories.  It only seemed natural for me to try on his shoes and give it a go.  Because of my other monstery illustrations, some were taken by surprise by the idea that I might also create artwork for children’s books.  But, I have welcomed this opportunity to be able to express a softer side of myself and reach out to a different audience.  It creates a nice sense of balance!