My training in graphics started while I was a student at Rice University from 1970 through 1974. Although I majored in Psychology and Spanish, my elective courses included 4 semesters of drawing, 1 semester of painting, 1 semester of independent projects and 1 of design theory.

My experience with professional graphics (as well as copywriting) began in 1978, when I was assigned the position of Director of Advertising for Home Entertainment, Inc. Home Entertainment, which was acquired by Tweeter in 1999, was an image-conscious, full-service retailer of premium high-end stereo and video component systems. In 2006, a former employee of the original Home Entertainment acquired the name and opened a new Home Entertainment store in The Woodlands, Texas, and became a client of DESIGNSITE. Just as the new Home Entertainment does now, the original Home Entertainment catered to enthusiasts and others who demand quality products and services. I was responsible for the concept, production and media placement of all advertising. Included in these responsibilities were in-store and corporate materials such as brochures, presentation folders, business cards, letterheads, etc. I handled all newspaper, magazine, radio and television advertising. During the time I was responsible for this job, about $3-million worth of media was planned and purchased. One of my job directives was to develop Home Entertainment's highly-successful direct mail newsletter program. In the 10 years I served as Director of Advertising, I decided product content, wrote, designed and produced about 600 newsletter pages.

In 1988, I left Home Entertainment, and in 1989 moved to Los Angeles to continue newsletter production on a freelance basis. My work projects included a bit of copywriting for McIntosh Laboratory Inc. in Binghamton, New York, plus complete newsletter writing, design and production for 8 stereo/video retailers across the country. During the 2 years I did this, I produced another 500-600 newsletter pages that were seen by customers from Atlanta to Honolulu (see my list of clients). I also desktop published/produced a 400 page book, Mastering the Power of Aldus Persuasion, for my friend and noted author, Roger C. Parker. If you are involved in advertising and marketing, desktop publishing or the giving of presentations, I strongly encourage you to visit Roger's web site, even though I did not design it. Since doing Roger's book, I have desktop produced other books, including I Flunked Sunday School, by Ken Bailey. That book was made into a movie in 2006.

By 1991, McIntosh Laboratory Inc. had discontinued its direct mail advertising agency services, and my 8 stereo/video clients (all McIntosh dealers) simultaneously ceased their direct mail newsletters — so back to Houston for me. I renewed my association with Reynolds Video and was their Art Director and graphic artist-animator from 1992 until they closed their doors following the collapse of Enron a decade later (Enron was a major client of RV). By 1992, the Chyron Chameleon had been retired and replaced by a much more capable Aurora 280 Cadet system. This new equipment was based on a Sun 360 workstation and included sophisticated custom "paint" software, plus impressive 3-D animation.

Sometime in 1997, Reynolds Video began its move into digital video. Eventually, the 1-inch machines would be almost unused, in favor of the Apple Macintosh-based (not McIntosh) MEDIA 100 video editing system. The Aurora 280 would also sit virtually unused. I began to do all of my video graphic work on Macintosh computers using Adobe Photoshop, AfterEffects, Illustrator, Macromedia FreeHand, and Specular Infini-D. I utilize Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Adobe GoLive for web site work such as this site, and the sites I built and maintain for Design Systems Ltd. in Honolulu, I Love Renaissance.com, Pumps It, Inc., the Italian Greyhound Club of Greater Houston and IGHouston, all in Houston.

If you need graphic materials for print, corporate ID, video or the web, DESIGNSITE can help with affordable graphic services. To send me an email message, just click here, or on the Contact link at the top of the page.

Thanks for visiting,