ABOUT ANDREW
The Early Years
I was born in rural southern Illinois where I lived a majority of my life and looking back, took for granted the calming and incredibly beautiful natural surroundings of that land. My parents lived (and still do) on a 40-acre ranch with our closest neighbors being a mile away. During my childhood, I also lived in Camden, Maine. Even though that was a brief period in my life, many memories and experiences from Camden and the Northeast have stayed with me and influenced me greatly. My mother was an art teacher at the local grade school I attended, my father an avid golfer. With both parents by my side, art & golf quickly became my two first loves. My early background in art helped me acquire a strict attention to detail. This traditional sense of design then evolved and fused with a more urban, fresh, and bold style when I entered college.
College Life
I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA. This was the first time in my life that I could give my desire to design and create, my fullest attention. I began to study design, not only through my college courses but also through experiences outside the classroom in very art influenced metropolitan areas such as Chicago, New York City, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. I was also fortunate enough to travel abroad to Europe and be a student to the European elements of design, which I have been very inspired by ever since. I visited such countries as France, Germany, Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, and Scotland. Taking these experiences from art in so many different cultures and regions back to school helped me advance my work to a much higher level.
Life as a Collegiate Athlete
I was a member of the SCAD Men's golf team. I was a starter on the team for all four years of college. This taught me a very valuable lesson in time management, setting goals, and managing priorities. Hard work and a dedication to my craft and athletic ability helped me become a Scholar All-American as a Junior and Senior (2007-08, 2008-09) and a member of the All-Conference Academic team my sophomore, junior, and senior years (2006-'07, 2007-'08, 2008'-09') for the Southern Sun Conference. I was also recognized on the All-South Region team my senior year (2008-09). My college athletics department awarded me the Strength and Training Male Athlete of the Year for SCAD 2008-09. If you're up for a round, let me know...
The Early Years
I was born in rural southern Illinois where I lived a majority of my life and looking back, took for granted the calming and incredibly beautiful natural surroundings of that land. My parents lived (and still do) on a 40-acre ranch with our closest neighbors being a mile away. During my childhood, I also lived in Camden, Maine. Even though that was a brief period in my life, many memories and experiences from Camden and the Northeast have stayed with me and influenced me greatly. My mother was an art teacher at the local grade school I attended, my father an avid golfer. With both parents by my side, art & golf quickly became my two first loves. My early background in art helped me acquire a strict attention to detail. This traditional sense of design then evolved and fused with a more urban, fresh, and bold style when I entered college.
College Life
I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, GA. This was the first time in my life that I could give my desire to design and create, my fullest attention. I began to study design, not only through my college courses but also through experiences outside the classroom in very art influenced metropolitan areas such as Chicago, New York City, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. I was also fortunate enough to travel abroad to Europe and be a student to the European elements of design, which I have been very inspired by ever since. I visited such countries as France, Germany, Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, and Scotland. Taking these experiences from art in so many different cultures and regions back to school helped me advance my work to a much higher level.
Life as a Collegiate Athlete
I was a member of the SCAD Men's golf team. I was a starter on the team for all four years of college. This taught me a very valuable lesson in time management, setting goals, and managing priorities. Hard work and a dedication to my craft and athletic ability helped me become a Scholar All-American as a Junior and Senior (2007-08, 2008-09) and a member of the All-Conference Academic team my sophomore, junior, and senior years (2006-'07, 2007-'08, 2008'-09') for the Southern Sun Conference. I was also recognized on the All-South Region team my senior year (2008-09). My college athletics department awarded me the Strength and Training Male Athlete of the Year for SCAD 2008-09. If you're up for a round, let me know...
Currently...
After a 10-year career as a designer in the Washington, D.C. area (which was a truly welcoming place for me to thrive as a creative individual and call home since 2009) I decided to move back to my hometown in Makanda, IL to raise a family. While in DC though, I was able to pursue many additional passions beyond graphic design thanks to the artistic community that D.C. cultivates. I maintained a small but effective woodworking and furniture design hub out of my home (don't worry, the neighbors never complained about noise or saw dust... to me at least). I continuously explored my creative outlets of photography, making music, and writing, with many travels and cultural experiences to help me more understand humanity and its collective diversities, along with learning more about myself. Artistic expression and self-discovery have come to play very important roles in my life and are two things I embrace whole-heatedly. Natural beauty and the wild places of the world have always been vital in my expression and is often where I turn when in need of inspiration and is one of the reasons I decided to make the big move out of the city and to the middle of nowhere (and we love it!). As a hobby, I've also taken up the sport of Long Drive. After winning my place into the 2018 and 2019 World Long Drive Championship, I now have a top-50 world ranking and travel the country to help raise money for charities as I hit drives for guests at various events. For more on this, be sure to check out my website www.thorlongdrive.com
Hopes for the Future
As I continue my career as a Graphic Designer. I hope to always advance my learning with new techniques and styles. I wish that my past, current, and future work can help contribute (in any small way) to the betterment of the industry itself, and perhaps society as well. I also hope to continue the many good things I have in my life right now thanks to my amazing wife and absolute champ of a son (and my pup, Chuy, too).
After a 10-year career as a designer in the Washington, D.C. area (which was a truly welcoming place for me to thrive as a creative individual and call home since 2009) I decided to move back to my hometown in Makanda, IL to raise a family. While in DC though, I was able to pursue many additional passions beyond graphic design thanks to the artistic community that D.C. cultivates. I maintained a small but effective woodworking and furniture design hub out of my home (don't worry, the neighbors never complained about noise or saw dust... to me at least). I continuously explored my creative outlets of photography, making music, and writing, with many travels and cultural experiences to help me more understand humanity and its collective diversities, along with learning more about myself. Artistic expression and self-discovery have come to play very important roles in my life and are two things I embrace whole-heatedly. Natural beauty and the wild places of the world have always been vital in my expression and is often where I turn when in need of inspiration and is one of the reasons I decided to make the big move out of the city and to the middle of nowhere (and we love it!). As a hobby, I've also taken up the sport of Long Drive. After winning my place into the 2018 and 2019 World Long Drive Championship, I now have a top-50 world ranking and travel the country to help raise money for charities as I hit drives for guests at various events. For more on this, be sure to check out my website www.thorlongdrive.com
Hopes for the Future
As I continue my career as a Graphic Designer. I hope to always advance my learning with new techniques and styles. I wish that my past, current, and future work can help contribute (in any small way) to the betterment of the industry itself, and perhaps society as well. I also hope to continue the many good things I have in my life right now thanks to my amazing wife and absolute champ of a son (and my pup, Chuy, too).
