I was raised in Caldwell, Idaho: a small town about 30 miles from Boise. After high school I moved to Colorado, where I took my first calligraphy classes with The Colorado Calligraphers Guild. I went to college at Colorado State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.

After working one year for a sign shop in Ft. Collins, I moved to Denver to work for a large publisher (now defunct) producing magazines and newspapers. Without a real interest in publishing, I soon turned to my love of lettering with the idea of eventually doing it as my livelihood. With more classes through the Guild and part-time work making invitations and addressing envelopes for a wedding planner, I achieved a real polish with all the traditional calligraphy styles. I started learning pointed brush and set my sights on getting commercial lettering work.

When my lettering matched the level of better known local lettering artists, I began winning assignments with ad agencies and design studios. Before long, I had enough work to give full time to my lettering.

After 20 years in Colorado, I found myself with an itch to live by the ocean. I moved to Los Angeles where I stayed 2 years, then moved to Bellingham, Washington (between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada) and stayed 4 years. In August, 2005, I moved To Kansas City, Missouri, to work for Hallmark Cards.