When people ask me how or when I became an artist, I answer the question with a question, “Did you go to kindergarten?” We all develop creativity as children, some of us just never stopped. The only lesson to learn to do anything is to simply keep doing it. Although, I found my true passion for visual art during my senior years of high school (2001-2002) with my beloved teachers, Wendy Pound and Tony Stewart who both showed me that art is limitless. The ability to combine photography with painting and illustration lead me on the path to discover the beauty of mixed media and graphic design.
I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life, so I dropped many important classes in High School to add more time in photography and art. Doing so, I was awarded an academic award for black and white photography and received certificates II and III in arts before high school graduation. After graduating in 2002, I went on to work as a film processor and camera specialist at Smith’s Kodak, later to move on as a mini lab operator at Rabbit Photo in 2003.
After working in the mini lab field for a few years, I realised I needed more creativity as a career. I decided to become a graphic design student at Design College Australia. During this time I achieved an AGideas poster award, Southern Cross packaging award and also worked as a freelance graphic designer for small businesses which would pay for each semester to get through my studies.
I received the Advanced diploma in Visual Communication in 2007 and found myself slotting into the graphic design industry, laying out tutorials, cover art, photo editing and designing adverts for a magazine called QNews. I was the only graphic designer at QNews and wondered if I could learn more and grow, in a graphic design studio. I found Clubhaus in 2010, a graphic design studio based within Clubs Queensland. At Clubhaus, I worked with photographers, film makers, graphic designers and web designers which helped me learn new techniques and grow as a designer. I used my magazine and advertising knowledge to fulfill the projects while working on the briefs as a team.
In 2012, I decided to test the waters as a freelance graphic designer, gaining clients through advertising and word of mouth through print companies and other studios including Snap Printing, World Wide Printing and Clear Identity.
I found freelance work for an Australian souvenirs company called WWSouvenirs, shortly after I became a full time graphic designer again, experimenting with diverse projects. During my time at WWS I rediscovered where, how and why I started as a creative and pursued my passion for illustration and painting while working as a graphic designer.
Revisiting all of my old artworks I learned my style as an artist again and soon after, exhibited my works in the “Dead Scary” art exhibition at Lust for Life tattoo, a group exhibition during Halloween. This line of work as an artist encouraged me to do more, so I went on to hold a solo exhibition at Jugglers art space the following year. The group exhibitions at Lust for life grew more interest and I experimented with more styles and a combinations of realism and abstract illustration. I took this style and held another solo exhibition at Sling Shot Bar gallery which was very successful and held follow up exhibitions to keep the series of work growing.
The line of art direction and curating interested me, so I recruited artists and organised a group exhibition at Polygone Cowboy which gave me the idea to set up a Graphic Design and Art services business called NineteenthBlock.
While working on Nineteenth block, I have exhibited new styles of art in a conceptual form in and around Brisbane and the outskirts of Melbourne, hopefully this will grow.
I am continuing to exhibit my works, running Nineteenth Block with graphic design services and commissioned art.
The passion will never die and the concepts will keep flowing.
A simple message, from Kindergarten me: Stay Creative.
You can find more of my works on www.nineteenthblock.com