HarperCollins Publishers

Senior Designer / November 2017 - present

Art direct and design the cover and interiors for educational, trade, and licensed property books for children. Design and hire artists to illustrate the rebranded, award-winning science non-fiction picture book series, Let's Read-and-Find-Out and the Let's Investigate with Nate series. Communicate efficiently with agents, artists, licensors, editors, post-production managers and sales/marketing teams on popular book projects such as the Wonder Woman junior novel, I Love You More Than the Smell of Swamp Gas and DC licensed I Can Read books. Present cover concepts presentations in front of sales and marketing executives and publishers. Maintain close relationships with artist/literary agents. Manage the submissions for the Society of Illustrators' Annual Illustrators show, the Original Art show, and the NY Book Show for the entire children's design department.

Designer / May 2016 - October 2017

Assistant Designer / October 2014 - April 2016

Designed and managed covers and interiors for children's picture books, early reader chapter books, and licensed book properties to meet seasonal critical deadlines. Art direced, hire and collaborate with artists and freelancers. Collaborated with editors, art reps, production staff. Organized, prepped, and archived cover snapshots and printer-ready book files Digital Asset Management (DAM). Monitored freelancer budgets as well as process invoices in a timely manner.

Design Assistant / April 2013 - October 2014

Provided administrative support to the associate creative director ie. answering phone, ordering books, distributing mail, organizing meetings and calendar events. Assisted in the design, preparation and organization for picture book projects from preliminary dummy stage to file prep for print production. Researched and acquired creative talent, prepared presentations for sales, cover and seasonal launch meetings.

Thomas Soloman - Magician & Escape Artist

Illustrator & Designer / April 2015 - August 2015

Conceptualized and designed performance fliers, posters and newspaper advertisements for Thomas Solomon's summer performances. Communicated clearly and efficiently with the client via email and telephone correspondence to work through several rounds of revisions of each projects promotional materials.

Junction of Function

Freelance Product Designer / August 2012 - May 2013

Created the graphic artwork for the Shoe Tying Made Simple instructional package design, Writing Made Simple magnetic lunch box design, and the rebranded All Tied Up booklet design. Designed and illustrated the How To Tie A Windsor Knot tutorial for young men, Shoe Tying Made Simple tutorial, and the One-Handed Shoe Tying Method tutorial.

Chibi's Boba Tea, LLC.

Branding Designer / June 2012 - present

Developed the branding design for the company logo, business cards, posters, frequent buyer cards and other promotional materials for the cafe. Refreshed and updated necessary art files for print and digital presentation.

Express Fashion, Inc.

Graphic Design Intern / May 2011 - August 2011

Assisted the men's design team with graphic art, textile pattern, and typography designs for graphic t-shirts, knits, sweaters, denim and accessories. Updated and recolored archival art for reprinted graphic art. Created presentation boards for the fall/winter 2012 seasonal strategy meeting in front of company executives, sales and marketing associates and the CEO. Catalogued and organized product tech and style sheets into WebPDM. Kept detailed notes and memos from meetings with production and material merchants. Evaluated fabric and textile quality. Negotiated fabric prices.

Education

Pratt Institute

Major: Creating the Picture Book with Barbara Lalicki and Steve Henry

Continuing Studies, February 2017 - April 2017

Make Art That Sells

Major: Illustrating Children's Books with Lilla Rogers & Zoe Tucker

Online Class, October - November 2016

Ringling College of Art and Design

Major: Illustration

Bachelor of Fine Arts, May 2012

Gallery Exhibitions & Shows

AnimeNEXT 2017

Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ. / June 9-11, 2017

As part of the art collective, The YEA Girls, I will be participating as a vendor in the Artist Alley of AnimeNEXT 2017 selling fine art prints, artist bound books, sticker packs, mini comics, greeting cards, and demoing live small illustration commissions.

"Chic to the Unique" Boutique

143 Butler Lane, New Canaan, CT. / April 22-23, 2017

As part of the art collective, The YEA Girls, I will be participating as a vendor selling fine art prints, artist bound books, sticker packs, mini comics, and greeting cards.

MOCCA Arts Festival

Metropolitan West - NYC / April 1-2, 2017

As part of the art collective, The YEA Girls, I participated as a vendor at the Museum of Comic & Cartooning Arts Festival selling fine art prints, artist bound books, mini comics, and sticker packs.

Tiny Wonderland

Pasadena, CA / September - October 2016

Exhibited a 3 mini-painting triptych, each painting being 5x5 inches framed. Watercolor, gouache, metallic acrylic, & colored pencils.

Incursion - Enter Into A Space Uknown

Orlando, FL / January - February 2013

Exhibited a series of 7 gallery paintings. Watercolor & gouache.

Senior Illustration Show

Sarasota, FL / May 2012

Exhibited a collections of 12 paintings, a 32-page picture book dummy, and dog house installation. Watercolor, colored pencils & graphite pencils.

American Heart Association Charity Show - Go Red for Women

Sarasota, FL / February 2010

Exhibited 1 painting, "Heart of Gold". Pastel, colored pencil, watercolor. Sold.

A Day in a Life Student Show

Basch and Smith Galleries, Sarasota, FL. Saint Lucas University College of Art & Design, Antwerp, Belgium

January-March 2010

Exhibited 1 painting, "Day in a Life of Erica De Chavez". Pastel, watercolor, colored pencil & acrylic.