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[n] 1: the act of working out the form of something. 2: The purposeful or inventive arrangement of parts or details. 3: something intended as a guide for making something else; blueprint, pattern. 4: A drawing or sketch, a graphic representation; a decorative or artistic work. 5: an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions; purpose, intention, aim. 6: the creation of something in the mind; invention, innovation, conception. [v] 1: make or work out a plan for; devise. 2: create or execute in an artistic or highly skilled manner. 3: make a design of; plan out in systematic, often graphic form. 4: conceive or fashion in the mind; invent.
I knew I would be an artist, from earliest childhood. My earliest memory of creative thought, happened on a drive to Rhode Island, to visit my godparents. I sat in the front seat of the car, with my father, and we spent hours staring at the clouds, and describing what each could be, what the shape meant, watching them change, morph, and become something different altogether.
I had paints, pencils, papers and sketchbooks, in my hands for as long as I could remember. I daydreamed about clouds in the sky, and how they could be molded into ornate designs. I fashioned elaborate costumes for my siblings, and made my own jewelry. I took summer painting courses, and spent hot days in Baltimore painting canvases full of Little Italy's buildings and Lexington Market's fruit vendors. I wrote elaborate stories in notebook after notebook.
During my undergraduate experience I discovered design and communication courses. They were a natural bridge between my love of fine arts, and my detail-oriented nature ... an evolving career path emerged. My writing and design courses introduced me to the possibilities the computer offered the artist as a tool for creation. I took my first multimedia course and was in awe of my professor and what he could create with the Macintosh - his excitement was contagious. This technology, was the future, he said ... and he was right. It was my future.
My career as a graphic and web designer expanded with new opportunities in the business world. I taught myself HTML in 1995, because I wanted detailed control over the way my screen designs were being implemented. I took my first online course, in 1996 - it was a Macromedia Director course, through San Francisco State University. I was captivated by the idea, that this amazing technology I was immersed in could be used to teach remotely.
I pursued my Masters degree at MICA, while teaching and continuing to work in the industry. MICA introduced me to diverse group of artists who were using technology to partner with their design, fine art, performance, and musical backgrounds. I explored how traditional ideas on art could be married to new technologies, interwoven with personal experiences, and my interactive thesis project was born. ( http://www.definefamily.com )
I expanded into different industries, researching, working and volunteering. I focused more on design for the screen, using Macromedia Flash and exploring the possibilities of screen typography through Cascading Style Sheets. My passion for expanding the voice of women in the field of technology intertwined with my work, teaching and personal volunteer projects.
For a personal resume, click here.
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