Hello. I’m James
I went to art school just outside of Philadelphia and studied graphic design and illustration. Following a few months of freelancing, I landed a job in advertising as a graphic designer with a focus on print. Once I moved to Orlando, Florida, I advanced to art director thru various agencies.
After 20 years as an art director by day and illustrator by night, I now specialize in illustration and design for the children’s market.
For 12 seasons under the creative direction of The Kennedy Center, I designed and illustrated over 100 concert guides for PreK–12 school performances. They’re full of clever writing, playful design, and colorful illustrations to help educate children about music through storytelling.
Before going digital, I illustrated several books in a mix of watercolor and pastels. They include Ladies and Gentlemen! for Compass Point Books, I Can Bowl for Scholastic, and several activity books for Guideposts/Ideals. They include Japan and China in their “Kaleidoscope Kids” series and two “Kids Can!” books: Crafts Across America and Keeping Our Earth Green.
Today, my illustrations are created digitally, but still retain the painterly flair of mixed media on paper. Enrolling in digital art education courses with Domestika and CGMA help me to stay up to date with techniques and the creative community.
Occasionally, art directors request vector art created in Illustrator. A few of my biggest projects have been the Alphabeasts Alphabet Books box set for Alpha Toys, The Funny Zone joke book series for Norwood House Press, and over 80 character and prop illustrations created for the mobile game app Cow Tip Foolery developed by Cat Amuck Studios.
Check out my portfolio of illustrations and sketches and let’s work together. If your project is a children’s book, game, workbook, magazine, or toy packaging—then I want to help create it.
When I step into the three-dimensional world, I enjoy biking, movies, reading, and international travel. Work. Save. Travel. Repeat.
Created a spectrum of design projects for an award-winning public relations and marketing agency.
Design
• Crafted B2B marketing materials, annual reports, brochures, ad campaigns, newsletters, and posters.
• Worked closely with clients to create a vision, conceive designs, and consistently meet deadlines to translate concepts into visual graphics.
• Developed and illustrated visual identity and brand guideline books for clients such as Florida Citrus Sports and Crooms Academy.
Writing
• Ad concepts, headlines, taglines, and posters.
Notable Projects
The Reliable One – Directed and designed OUC’s annual report titled Reliability is the Name of the Game which took top honors and won APPA’s Award of Excellence in the largest utility category.
Bringing Clarity to Life – Commended for collaborating on a highly successful and large print campaign for Adult Literacy League. The entire ensemble proved to be a valuable resource to recruit volunteers, increase public awareness, and promote fundraising.
Year of the Volunteer – Designed an annual report highlighting how Junior Achievement provides a rewarding volunteer experience. From inception to production, developed the layout, directed the photography, and constructed the illustrations.
Wore many hats as a creative for the region’s only company that intersected advertising and promotions successfully under one roof.
Design
• Integral part of the creative team—brainstorming, coordinating, and collaborating across departments—developing concepts to pitch the Phoenix Suns. We quickly became their agency of record after beating out 17 competing agencies.
• Managed multiple designers, conducted brainstorming sessions, met with clients to discuss project goals, and art directed photographers and illustrators.
• Partnered with the copywriter to create ad campaigns, in-store displays, trade show graphics, packaging, billboards, and direct mail.
Illustration
• Developed 2D and photo illustrations of print collateral, branding, and packaging mock-ups.
• Sketched and fully rendered various promotion concepts for client presentations including Disneyland, SEGA, IFC Films, and The LOOP: Kissimmee’s popular shopping and entertainment center.
Writing
• Developed advertising and promotion concepts for television and video game clients including Konami, ABC Television Network, and Orlando Magic.
• Creative ad concepts, headlines, and taglines for Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and Harrell’s.
Notable Projects
Landing in Hot Water – Acquiring Leisure Bay Spas, our first project—arriving as roughs and behind schedule—was their showcase booklet. Designed a new layout, assembled a comp, art directed photo shoots on location, retouched photos, and prepped for final production to accomplish an on-time delivery.
Bouncing Back – Designed Orlando Magic advertising campaigns, logos, billboards, promotions, vehicle wraps, posters, and outdoor banners. Due to Visionworks’ strategy of marketing to groups and single-game seekers, attendance and revenue dramatically increased three years in a row!
Acquired a 3-month contract which began with production and quickly advanced to a full-time position managing graphic design and illustration projects.
• Managed projects including brochures, rack cards, medical illustrations, magazine ads, digital banners, signage, and hospital posters incorporating the brands new visual identity.
• Once the new “I Choose” ad campaign was launched, created print ads, digital email and social media banners, indoor and out-of-home posters, bus wraps, outdoor banners, and billboards.
Notable Projects
Orlando Health Visual Identity Makeover – Responsible for designing the new Orlando Health visual identity on all print collateral, signage, digital media, vehicles, and presentation graphics.
Designer’s Toolkit – Collaborating with the creative director, wrote and developed a large brand standards book as a guide for graphic designers and the marketing team.
Creating designs and illustrations to go hand in hand from inception to completion for children’s books, packaging, brand identity, magazines, print collateral, and digital media.
• Ability to manage multiple projects from start to finish with little oversight.
• Develop illustrations for step-by-step guides, educational materials, workbooks, advertisements, maps, packaging, logos, and icons.
Notable Projects
Client: The Kennedy Center
Project: Cuesheet Concert Guides
Designed and illustrated over 100 concert guides for K–12 school performances.
• Designed to look like a young girl’s journal, the 12-page Cuesheet for the Barrio Grrrl! performance was implemented into the Marketing Department’s advertising campaign. The Cuesheet did more to promote the performance than any other visual communication.
• For more than 11 seasons, collaborated with the creative director, editor, and copywriters on concert guide concepts, sketches, and layouts.
Client: Higher Advertising
Project: Alphabeasts
Hired to illustrate Alpha Toys’ Alphabet Book Box Set to compliment their Alphabeasts plush toy line.
• Created over 70 illustrations picturing the Alphabeasts interacting with objects or characters that begin with each letter.
• The books won a Dr. Toy Best Children’s Product Award and a Mom’s Choice Award.
