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Hello

I grew up on a farm in Grand Ridge, IL. Living so far from town made me get creative to find ways to spend my time. That time of my life really drove my passion for the arts and building things.

I graduated from Grand Ridge Grade School and Streator High School. I completed my A.A.S. in Art and Design at IVCC. I’m a proud Huskie, having graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.F.A. in Visual Communications.

After college, I was an intern in Marketing and Communications at the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. I also had the opportunity of a lifetime to intern for three months at Hatch Show Print in Nashville. My most recent experience has been as the graphic designer and executive director of the Ottawa Visitors Center. In this role, I have won several awards at the Illinois Governor’s Conference including Outstanding Niche Targeting, Best Social Media Marketing, Best Tourism Marketing Campaign, and Best Branding Initiative.

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My Story

Family and Fun

In my free time, I like to spend time with my wife, Tara, and our new baby boy, Jackson. We also have three rescue dogs; a crabby old Cocker Spaniel named Rudy, a Pyrenees mix (who can be best described as being made from spare parts) Myah, and an overweight Doberman named Raymond.

I love to travel and go on adventures. My favorite is our annual visit to the Iowa State Fair, something I’ve done all but 3 years of my life. I have many fond memories of family and fun at the fair. We were even featured one year in their advertisements.

I’m a fan of vintage items, hats, scavenger hunts, genealogy, Farmall tractors, International Pickup trucks, and history. I also like to collect vintage post cards of our area.

Giving Back

I’m passionate about the local foods movement and grow a large garden of chemical free produce. I ran the Streator Downtown Farmers Market for several years and can still be found there on Saturdays during the summer. I also sell to local restaurants and was integral in creating a Local Foods week to promote knowing where your food comes from and supporting local farmers. Recently, my wife and I started Grey Barn Gardens, venturing into cut flowers and bouquets.

I also believe in giving back to my community. I served on SDAB (Streator Downtown Area Businesses), START (Streator Action and Revitalization Team), Keeping Christmas Close to Home (Christmas Parade Committee), the Streator Walldogs, Streator Farmers Market Manager, and Streator Tourism.

My Art

My interests and abilities in art range from murals to digital design to old-fashioned letterpress.

One of my most visible pieces of art can be seen in downtown Streator. I spent more than 1,000 hours painting a full wall sized mural on the A-1 Gas Building. I took direction from the building owner and added personal touches, including his parents on to the mural. I also became interested in the Walldogs art movement. I began painting with them in preparation for Streator’s mural festival held in 2018 and have kept going back ever since. I’ve painted on murals in Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.

Named in honor of my father (who was a spitting image of Abe Lincoln), Lincoln Lad Letterpress was launched in 2020. It is my letterpress and graphic design studio. I offer general design, posters/prints, cards, stationery, announcements/invitations, and any other custom printed work. My letterpress printers are over 80 years old and give that great vintage feel to my work.

I also can create advertisements for print and digital media, as well as business logos.

Awards and Milestones

I don’t like to brag. However, I want potential customers to know that they are in good hands. Here are some of the honors that I have received.

40 under 40 recipient

Illinois Governors Conference on Tourism (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020)

Streator Chamber of Commerce - Streator Garden Club Community Action Business of the Year and Streator Farmers Market Not for Profit Business of the year (2014).

Let’s Get Creative!

I have a wide range of interests and capabilities. I’d love to talk to you about your project. You can contact me directly using the methods on this page or by clicking the, "Contact" tab.

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