Can you give us a little info on who you are and what got you into this industry?

I was the quiet kid who could draw good. I was more interested in the space battles happening on my notebook covers than the history lesson I was supposed to be paying attention to. I was really into airplanes. Growing up in Alaska, I had no shortage of personal airshows, with Strategic Air Command not 15 miles away. I always loved special effects (then it was all practical effects and models) and always dreamed of doing that. I always figured If I did, it would be by building practical models. So I built models, lots and lots of models.

My family, especially my Dad, was always encouraging and supportive of my artistic ability all through school and college. With the almost divine intervention of CG in my younger professional career, I would be put on a path that would eventually allow me to do what I'd only dreamed about.

You made the jump from advertising/multi-media to entertainment art can you explain to us what some of the major differences were and how it impacted your art?

Moving from a primarily print, then “multimedia” driven industry to the entertainment industry felt like I'd discovered a gate to another universe in my back yard. Admittedly I was pretty young and naïve, but being exposed to that and seeing this whole other industry where artists get paid to do these amazing things was a pretty awesome moment in my life. It was pretty clear to me then what my future had to be.

I would say the biggest influencing factor from a production standpoint would be the tools and software. What we take for granted today with powerhouse computers, and the countless apps that make our lives (supposedly) easier was just not around then (or it existed in a MUCH lesser form). This was back in the day when “cut and paste” meant using an X-acto blade and Hot-Wax rollers.

How much did you hate advertising?

Haha, It wasnt so much the industry, but the circumstances I was in. I was in the midwest at that time and there were very few options for a young graphic artist. Like many people, going into the advertising/multi-media city of Chicago was “what you did” with an art degree. But I always felt like I should be doing more. I was always trying to make things more interesting (for myself mostly) Sometimes to the dismay of the client or boss of the day “...no, we cant do a space ship, this is for an insurance company!”

You mentioned that you were into building models as a kid and being inspired by Star Wars. Do you think that has contributed to your style and passion for complexity?

Most definitely. I think having the parts in front of you, assembling them and seeing how things really worked gave me a lot of reference and knowledge that I apply to my CG work today. Especially with mechanical things. I'm not saying I'm some ace Industrial engineer, but I know how landing gear works. I know how parts interact with each other each to accomplish some task or goal.

As for Star Wars, it's almost a cliché, but yeah, that film was a pretty big influence on my interest in art and life. I think a lot of people - doing what we do - can say that.