Where are you from originally?

I’m from Tampa, FL originally. I grew up there and went to the University of South Florida for Fine Art.

What made you move all the way from Florida to Philadelphia & how do you like it there?

I wanted some adventure! My best friend Jenny and I had just visited NYC for the first time and we fell in love with it. We were both 23 and really naive. We went back a year later with the intention to move and realized that we just weren’t a good fit for the big city. So, a bit defeated, we returned to Florida and took a look at visiting some other cities that maybe wouldn’t be just so fast-paced. Eventually we visited Philly and it felt right so we moved a month later. I love Philadelphia so much! It’s perfect for me. I love to ride a bike around, and it’s a small enough city to allow that easily. Also, it’s pretty cheap to live here. Everything is laid-back and cool here.

When did you first become interested in illustration/graphic design?

When I was born! I think once my parents saw that I loved to draw they encouraged that in me. I’ve always wanted to be an illustrator. When I saw Gigposters.com, I knew the design part was for me also.

That’s great that your parents were so encouraging. Were they always supportive of your decision in becoming an illustrator?

To a degree, they were supportive. They always wanted me to do what I love and to be happy, but they were concerned about the money side of things. That’s why they wanted me to go to a state university so that my loans would be low or non-existent. It worked out okay! My Parents are pretty relieved I think!

What was the first drawing you remember making and how old were you?

That would definitely be the “famous” (in my family, anyway!!) picture of me as a potato-shaped person falling off my chair and my potato-shaped mom coming to rescue me. I think I was 2 and a half or so.

How did you like art school?

I loved college. I went to a state school with a very general Fine Art program, so I got exposed to a lot of different types of art making. I took a ceramics class and a sculpture class along with traditional drawing and then even some electronic media. It was great!

It sounds like a lot of fun! What drew you to screenprinting?

I had taken a class on Printmaking and we covered screenprinting in that class. I liked it okay, but it seemed like a lot of work! I later realized that I could do it pretty easily at home and that the work was worth it because once set up, the edition could be as big as I wanted. I think the largely shape-based quality of my work lends itself well to screenprinting.

What was your first design gig?

A poster for Fin Fang Foom (a band) through the Orpheum in Tampa, FL. I used to dance there on a Saturday and I remember seeing my poster up for the first time! What a thrill!!

The geometry, lines, and animals in your work remind me a lot of one of my favorite illustrators, Charley Harper. When/how were you introduced to his work?

I love Charley too! He’s the master. I was introduced to his work through my projects with Alien Workshop. The guys at AWS are all big fans of his too!

Who are some current artists that you admire?

I love Dirk Fowler, Methane Studios, Tim Gough, Jason Munn, Joan Miro, Charley Harper, Alexander Girard, Kevin Mercer, Jessica Hische, the Heads of State, Olympia Zagnoli, Edel Rodriguez, the list goes on and on…

Who/what else inspires you?

I try to be open to inspiration every day. You never know when a color-scheme or a shape might catch your eye.

What is a typical day for you like?

I love to work out, so I start my day with breakfast. Then I turn on the TV and start to draw or design and usually either stay at that or interrupt to screenprint downstairs. I always take a break for lunch and then again for dinner, and I sometimes even get a chance to meet a friend for coffee or a workout break. It’s a great life!

Did you ever imagine your work would be on the feet of people (for Keds) walking around the world? How did you land that gig?

Absolutely not! It was the most amazing thing! I got set up with Keds through an interview in NYLON, which I had gotten through being at Flatstock. I later found out that Jason Munn had recommended me to the writer who was asking around for new artists (Thank you, Jason!!)

How would you describe your creative process?

I turn on the TV and start messing around on the computer. I’d love to pin it down more, but it’s pretty crappy and simple, really. I think a lot of people might be disappointed to find out that someone’s creative process is so normal.

Print Magazine chose you as one of their picks for New Visual Artists of 2008. That’s pretty monumental. What was your initial reaction when you found out?

Yes, that was totally awesome! I couldn’t believe that I got through to the final 30. I was jump-up-and-down happy when I found out that I made it!!

You’ve designed everything from posters, pillows, skateboards, shoes, and accessories. What do you hope will be next?

I’m hoping to get into designing bedding and bike graphics. That would be so great!!

And finally, what’s one thing most people don’t know about you?

I’m a major homebody. Also, I love Beverly Hills 90210.