The Illustration Years – 1975 thru 1995

In 1973, the same year the US Military Forces withdrew from Vietnam, I graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit. I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a double major; in Painting and Drawing. I recall that the program focused on ultramodern and experimental thought. In the art museums I visited during my studies, I recognized the importance of drawing in the works I admired most. So, though I needed to declare only one major, I decided to pursue a second in Drawing.

My wife and I were at the beginning of our life together. I had put myself through university, and earning money was a priority after graduation. To accomplish that in the art field appeared a long way off. Further education was an option but I lacked the funds to continue.
So, I began working at different odd jobs to earn what we would need to live on. I primarily worked in grocery stores and factories, picking up side jobs whenever, and wherever possible. I continued to paint and draw… But only as time and energy allowed. I desperately wanted to be doing anything other than I was… something creative! Eventually, I decided to get up at 4:30 AM and draw each day for a couple of hours before I went to my day job. I did this with an oath to myself to do so until I found work in a creative area.

One day while buying art supplies at Lewis Art Supply in Downtown Detroit, I came across a Society of Illustrators Annual. In that book, I found representational painting, which while driven commercially, was creatively viable. More so, I wondered if I might be able to earn an income doing this kind of art. I discovered that there was still an illustration apprenticeship venue in the Detroit advertising art studios. Interestingly, it had pretty much disappeared in the other major ad markets around the country.
I began seeking interviews with commercial art studios and ad agencies in Detroit. It was naïve on my part to do so. My BFA portfolio had a smidgen of graphic art examples but, other than those, was of little interest to them. They were looking for talent that had a focus on development in graphic arts. I came across really stunning portfolios in that genre as I competed for entry-level positions with graphic art students from some of the best design schools around the country.

I don’t remember how it came about but at some point, I garnished an interview with the Senior Creative Director at a major ad agency in downtown Detroit. I remember the day well.
His office was on the 29th floor of the Buhl building with a view of the Detroit River and Canada. It was one of those bitter cold January days when an Arctic blast slipped down from Canada. If you grew up with Michigan winters, you know these days well. The sky takes on the deep blue of the Great Lakes in the summer. The sun casts off the snow so bright that your eyes burn if you don’t have sunglasses on, and the air is cold enough to sting your lungs if you breathe it in too deeply.
I don’t think he spent a full minute looking at my portfolio. The fine art examples in my BFA portfolio were of little interest to him. With disbelief, he pushed it back across his desk to me. . . And then he said this:

“Where did you say you went to school? Never mind, your teachers should be hung by the neck (an interesting assessment considering I had received good grades at the university). I want you to stand up, turn around, go down the hall, get on the elevator, and leave the building. You can forget about ever being in this business.”

Pretty harsh words for my tender young art spirit!
In a jumble, I gathered up into my arms my portfolio and art and did as I had been directed. By the time I reached the lobby downstairs, the tears were slipping out. As I left the building, I hit that cold air, and the sun and snow blinded me momentarily. It was like being a soldier coming out of shell shock, with a slow-motion drift back into reality, like in the D-Day scene from the movie Saving Private Ryan.
I knew I had talent and my university studies were broad in aspect. Not least of which was to think independently with creative problem-solving. I also had an inexplicable confidence that I could find a path into a creative field… I swore as God was my witness, I would prove this guy wrong!

As it turned out, he did me a favor when he woke me to my misconceptions. While working days I began night courses in illustration at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. CCS was formally the Society of Arts and Crafts which had an excellent reputation in the Detroit art world. As I worked forward, I discovered my fine art university training was a clear asset. Because of this, the new illustration work I created had a different approach than other graphic art students. Enough so anyway, for the head of the graphic arts program to take notice and help me get placed in an art studio. Eventually, I would return to CCS to teach advanced courses in Illustration.
A big break came when I was hired as a junior illustrator by McNamara Art Studio (one of the two major ad art studios in the Detroit market). Following 5 years at McNamara, with a leap of faith, I became a freelance illustrator. During this period, I landed assignments with accounts like Readers Digest and simultaneously began work in major ad-art markets in cities like New York, LA, and Chicago.

By the way, the gentleman who asked me to leave his office and forget about ever getting into the graphic arts business? Interestingly enough, 11 years later he was the Awards Judge at the Detroit Scarab Club’s Annual Detroit Advertising Art Exhibition. That very same gentleman awarded a work of art I entered the Best of Show in Illustration… Never, ever… Give up!

The Final Leap
I had a nice career in commercial art and received good recognition over my time in illustration, working on many exciting assignments. I would once again make a leap of faith when in 1995 I left the illustration profession to pursue a new passion; Fine Art, and Plein-air painting with pastel