Life was full and busy as a young girl growing up in the Willamette Valley. I enjoyed gymnastics, track, being outside. My first creative love was sewing. I took every sewing class available and made many of my own clothes. The process of constructing a garment was magical. Marriage in 1988 took me to the beautiful Rogue Valley where we quickly realized this was the place we wanted to put our roots and raise a family. We loved the beautiful landscape of the area and having access to the great outdoors.
In 1998, my in-laws were ready to retire from Central Art Supply, a business that had taken root and had become a mainstay among artists and graphic designers in the area since 1981. This would be one of the best decisions we have ever made. We love how art unifies and inspires so many people.
My life remains active and full with family. We have nine children, three in-laws and three grandsons. They bring us so much joy! We also enjoy the extension of our family at Central Art. Outside of work and family I enjoy yardwork, gardening, canning, running, hiking, and still find time for a little bit of sewing.
Growing up on the Oregon Coast, I’ve been around art supplies all my life since my parents got into the business in 1968. My mother was an artist, so it seemed like a natural fit, and even inspired me to do some drawing and painting of my own. After winning some ribbons at the county fair, I got busy with life, occasionally dabbling in various mediums but shifting my focus to picture framing during my college years.
While putting myself through college, I had a custom frame shop attached to my parents’ business, and at age 36 I committed to buying the art store from them. I’ve now been involved with Central Art and its various incarnations on and off for the past fifty years.
I enjoy my large family, which includes Ann, my wife of thirty-four years and co-owner of Central Art, nine children, three in-laws and three grandchildren. Building a home to fit all of them was one of my greatest joys. In my spare time I love working on different building projects and spending time with my grandson.
I was born and raised in Las Vegas (the real one in Nevada) and moved to Southern Oregon in June of 2011. I met my wife Kelsey in 2014, married in 2017, and we now are the parents of the two most wonderful monsters in the world in Copeland and Eisley. When I’m not being the Store Manager of Central Art, most of my time is spent with them going on hikes, reading books, playing with our pets, cooking/baking, and all the other great and not-so-great things that go along with being their dad.
In the very sparse “free time” I have, I am the master of concept/line art and not completing a final artwork! My favorite thing to not finish is customizing everyday items you wouldn’t normally think of as art surfaces. Shoes, cups, chairs. Anything under the sun. You’d find me with a hockey game on in the background, pulling ideas from skateboarding and tattoo culture, my veganism, and all sorts of other sources.
I don’t have a dedicated art Instagram (see above why not), but you can follow me anyway if you’d like!
Instagram: @switchphotos
Social Media Manager/Content Creator for Central Art by day, introverted Professional Illustrator by night (mostly). I create all of the quirky, fun posts you see when you hop onto our social media channels, as well as keeping our website up-to-date and our customers informed via email with the latest events, classes, and features from Central Art.
When I’m not upstairs navigating the interwebs, you’ll find me at home either drawing fanciful creatures and characters for my other job, or at the gym lifting (another favorite pastime). Physical fitness is equal in importance to keeping creatively active in my everyday life, and I strive to maintain my dedication to both disciplines. I also drink way more coffee than anyone probably should, which just keeps me chugging along.
Movies are my life! Particularly science fiction, comedies, action and animated films (the latter inspired me to become a Character Designer). Art-wise, I love traditional pen and ink media or sketching with pencils, though professionally my work is mostly digital. The parallel worlds of the real and the imagined are where I draw much of my personal creative inspiration.
Check out my website to see my illustration portfolio!
Follow me on Instagram to see more of my art!
Most of the week, I’m the Assistant Buyer for Central Art. I make sure that the supplies you need are on our shelves for your artistic needs. If there’s anything that you’d like that we don’t have on hand, I’m more than happy to special order it just for you.
Outside of Central Art, I am an illustrator, character designer, and comic writer. I’m in my most creative headspace during a rainy day. I am currently working on an original graphic novel in my spare time. My stories are usually inspired from past “Dungeons and Dragons” campaigns. If I’m not creating or writing, I often like to spend my time reading comic books, going on walks, playing video games, or collecting dead bugs and other creepy things. I’m an avid coffee drinker and a professional breakfast enjoyer. I also like to collect enamel pins, mugs, weird t-shirts, and vinyl records.
I mostly work with digital media, but every once in a while, I like to return to my roots with graphite, ink and watercolor.
If you are interested in seeing my work, you can find my art here.
Originally from Gary, Indiana, life has taken me many places. From serving 6 years in the US Navy to starting a family and becoming a father to three children, I also studied art at San Diego State University and graduated with my BFA from University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 1998. My family and I moved to the Rogue Valley in 2015, and I joined the Central Art family the following year. I currently serve as Coordinator for Central Art Gallery.
My studio practice is devoted to drawing, printmaking and painting. I take my inspiration from architecture, literature, philosophy, sociology, and other subjects. When not working in the studio I spend my time reading, playing guitar, or watching films (classic, noir, comedy). I now have two grandchildren, and currently live in Medford with my wife, daughter and our McNab, Max.
Living in this area for so long, one almost forgets how scenic and wonderful it is. Lately, when there is some free time, it has been great to grab a drive-thru latte and take a long scenic drive out to haunt a few local record stores in the valley. Any earworm filled nuggets that follow me home usually find their way to the picture framing work area where my coworkers can find themselves exposed to great music...whether they know it or not!
Along with being a Custom Framer at Central Art, cycling is a huge passion in my life. I always feel rewarded for living in the Rogue Valley whenever I am out on one of my all-day adventures. Originally born in Medford, Oregon, I’ve lived in Colorado, Arizona, and Massachusetts as well.
Artistically, I enjoy taking interesting photographs in my daily travels, as well as dabbling with water media and creating abstract digital art. I was introduced to the Central Art family through my aunt Peggy Bulebar, who had been a framer in the valley for over 30 years. In my leisure I enjoy watching a lot of stand-up comedy and listening to podcasts.
If you’d like to see some of my art and photography, you can follow me on Instagram