MY BIO

I'm currently working as a matte painter at The Mill In London, UK, but am a long-time native of the San Francisco Bay Area in California where I'd lived there for over 20 years. I work under a BritishTier 1 visa and don't require sponsorship to work in the UK. It's my intention to acquire British citizenship in the next couple of years.

I was born in Aachen, Germany to a father who was an American GI and a Croatian mother. I still speak fluent German but am currently studying Croatian with the intention of regaining fluency in it as well. As a child, Croatian was ironically my first language. It's been a thrill to live in Britain for the past few years and I've enjoyed the opportunity to travel all around Europe in my time here.

I've been drawing as far back as I can remember and was encouraged by my parents to pursue it. When I went to University I picked up painting and all the advanced skills one needs to turn an interest in art into a profession. I was turned on to matte painting by my professors and vigorously pursued it from then on.

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY AND EDUCATION

I'm a highly skilled, versatile matte painter, texture artist, and illustrator, having been trained in a wide variety of digital and natural media. I'm skilled with both 2D and 2.5D matte painting. I'm an advanced user of Maya and Cinema 4D (including Bodypaint) and a power-user of Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator, having used them constantly for 14 years.

As well as matte painting and texturing I'm proficient wtih modeling, rigging, and animation. I'm also a competent user of Shake and Bodypaint. I'm well trained in perspective, human and animal anatomy, color theory, and composition. I'm skilled with painting in oil, acrylic, and digital media and I've become a sophisticated visual designer through my past graphic design and digital illustration work.

Before becoming a matte painter I was a commercial illustrator for 13 years, working on a variety of projects for a number of prestigious companies throughout Silicon Valley and beyond, including Disney, Apple, Hewlett-Packard, Adobe, Netscape, Sun Microsystems, Cisco Systems, Siemens and Hitachi.

I graduated, Cum Laude, from San Jose State University, wehre I received a BFA in Illustration/Animation in 2002. While there I received comprehensive training in the fundamentals of art from highly skilled and talented illustrators. The list includes Alice Carter, Barron Storey, John Clapp, Courtney Granner, Konrad Dunton and Sheldon Borenstein.

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Emmy Nomination: Sherlock – Study in Pink: Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special, 2011
  I was honored to have been one of a team of five artists at The Mill that were named in an Emmy nomination that was given to BBC’s production of Sherlock.
  
  
• Featured in “The Human Form” national juried exhibition at the Illinois
  Institute of Art in Chicago, 2006
  
  
• Featured in “Trains Past, Present, Future” national juried exhibition
  at the St. Louis Artists’ Guild, 2006
  
  
• Featured in the SJSU President’s Letter as a standout student in the
  SJSU 3D animation program, 2003
  
  
• The Society of Illustrators Award, national student competition, 2003
  $1,000.00 Prize
  
  
• The Society of Illustrators Award, national student competition, 1999
  $2,000.00 Prize