Bio

After both my sons had begun school in 1985, I took an illustrator position with The Winchester Star where I was artist for editorial, advertising and composition (paste up). The work was not as glamorous as I had imagined, but eventually, it became a powerful creative outlet.  Stories needing illustration went through “concept, planning and execution,” and then if it was in color, preparing for press was laborious. It was a world of paper, pencil, inks, zip-a-tone, x-acto knives, flourographic paints, and layers and layers of color separations. Add to that the painstaking trips to the camera room, press room and the drawing table. Everything was done by hand under deadline.

To make matters even more challenging, at that time before news design became important, an artist as an employee had to prove her practical value, so I was expected to wax and paste strips of copy in the composition room as well as do my primary work. I also made up ads for the advertising department.

1986 ~ A pioneer in bringing technology to the newsroom

How could I have known the importance of the little box with a five inch screen set before me in 1986? My editor plunked one of the first Macintoshes – the MacPlus in front of me, and a lifelong love affair began. The software was a precursor of what we know as Adobe Illustrator (vector drawing program where lines and points were mathematically calculated) I remember drawing shapes and shading it with tones of graduated gray. I wanted to print it out, and it took the laserwriter 45 minutes to an hour to figure out what it was supposed to be printing. The language of postscript soon followed.

The MacPlus was not ready. for professional application, but I spent many evenings after work, exploring its capabilities. I would draw a shape with the mouse, and click the shape to apply a color to it, and looked for the option to print in separated layers…. the option was there I was incredulous. That meant that someday soon, if they improve this little computer, that I would not have to spend hours cutting zipatone color separations. The other side of the coin, too, was the realization that if this little box can put pages together, what would happen to everyone working in paste up?

1986 ~Crazy for Color Graphics and the birth of Desktop Publishing at The Winchester Star

Graphics:The introduction of the computer that could create art, such as a color map on deadline created a demand for more color graphics for the day’s paper. The time in which I could produce a color graphic enabled me to produce color maps on deadline for my editor, Ron Morris. Ron would come to me and ask how long would it take you to give me a map of this? I’d say “give me a half hour.” And a little drawing and clicking and printing out color separations for the camera room and we were done! Before 1985, deadline graphics were difficult and painstaking. With the introduction of the efficient and fast Macintosh, news artists could finally pop out a color graphic for Page one on deadline!

Layout:The Apple Macintosh was capable of many things that were being done manually, including newspaper page paste up and composition of ads. It was not long before I could demonstrate to the publisher of the paper, Tom Byrd, that the computer was capable of producing complete pages without pasteup ~ without a composition room. Within two years, the oversized ad composition computers were replaced with Macintosh computers, and I was by default, now, a Macintosh Systems Operator. We apple-talked all the computers to printer and a server. I taught everyone how to use their Mac. If there was a problem, I could be seen hanging “on hold” for hours waiting for technical support. Things have changed quite a bit since those days. I cannot even remember which operating system we were using then!!

A new job career is born: the “graphic journalist”

Being an editorial news artist meant becoming part of the newsroom process and ‘graphic reporting’ in news reporting took serious roots in the eighties. Reporting on shootings, fires, town planning or elections was serious business for me as I learned on the job. My editors became increasingly interested in having a color graphic to go with a page one breaking news story. Visuals and color sell papers!

In 1986, The Poynter Institute of Media Studies held its first design seminar for artists and illustrators hosted by Mario Garcia. I attended with great interest and enthusiasm. Other attendees I met were Ned Levine, John Cornell, Tony Champagne, Mark Fredrickson and other talented journalists and artists. All artists had to submit a portfolio of their work in the form of tearsheets. Before we arrived Mario had made slides of our work which he used for teaching. At that time, the majority of my illustrations were done by hand. Inked, painted or drawn and reproduced and separated in the camera room. This week was an intense learning experience which solidified my understanding of my role in the news design process and enkindled a new passion for my career. During the nine years ensuing, I won awards annually.

School for Visual Arts, NYC (SVA)

In 1989, I spent a grueling, sleepless week with Milton Glaser at an annual workshop at the School for Visual Arts in NYC. A cross-section of professional artists, designers and calligraphers came from all over. We enjoyed learning about each other and about Milton’s philosophies. At that time, Milton had not been convinced of the charms and capabilities of the computer. I think that has all changed now, decades later. During the time I attended I was still illustrating in different styles- by had using a pointillist pen and ink style, and was also developing an illustrative drawing style with the mouse of the computer. I became versatile at illustrating features, business and news in both ways.

At The Winchester Star I had saved over fifty newspapers from all over the world to study newspaper design. “News design” was another “hot” new job as computer-generated pagination replaced layout in major newspapers and magazine production rooms and competition for circulation and revenue drove the media. I studied newspaper design because it was in my interest to have my art displayed properly by a page designer or by a savvy trained editor. I was a member of the Society of Newspaper Design which changed its name to the Society of News Design to accommodate the changing times. Now if you’re a serious media player your online presence better be just as good as your print edition, if not better.

The Des Moines Register, Iowa

In 1993, I joined the newsroom at The Des Moines Register in Des Moines, Iowa for the next six years. Gannett had purchased one of the last great statewide newspapers in the country. By 1996 we began to see long time veteran thinkers and analysts being offered early retirement so the publishing giant could hire graduates who could write a quick snapshot of who, what, when, where briefs, and earn much less salary. I was saddened that the priority of the paper had changed from content and quality to stock price. No longer was it important to maintain the integrity and health of the midwest’s last journalistic jewel. It was mournfully sad, the long exodus of Des Moines Register greats.

I was not so affected by the changes professionally, although my department was reduced from about 12 people to four within the next two years. With so few artists on a daily newspaper, it seemed as though I was chained to a computer for nearly 10 – 12 hours a day. I won awards from the Iowa Newspaper Foundation and Iowa APME for my work there as well; placing first in news graphics for four consecutive years before I moved to the Caribbean.

Going out on a limb

Desiring more freedom, adventure and less corporate strangling, I accepted a job as art director at a small eastern Caribbean newspaper, sight unseen. Idealistic in my desire to help create a free and unbiased press in a small independent island country, I did not foresee many barriers to come. Fear of victimization prevented residents from speaking freely or being quoted or photographed. That was 1999. Still, today, this part of the world would benefit from a truly free press, with dedicated ethical career journalists who command respect from authorities and operate under enforceable (FOI) Freedom of Information laws. Only then will we have a reliably unbiased and credible news source.

Doctor Penn Graphics

In 2000, Doctor Penn Graphics was born. Clients included Virgin Islands playwright, David Edgecombe, DHL, TDC, The Four Seasons Resort Nevis, Lagan Holdings, Offshore companies, The Engineering Foundation, NYC; and Sheila Kelley. I created and produced a unique brand of illustrated tourist map called “The Essential Nevisian Journey Map.” I coupled it with a visitor’s journal and planner with spaces for local advertisers. As of December 2010, there are five editions. (2003, 2004, 2005-2007, reprint of 2005-2007 with updates) and the 2010 edition.) We’ve tried one-year and two-year editions, and the one-year editions work better due to new businesses starting and other businesses closing, and the growth of communities and roads. However organizing the annual productions are labor intensive.

Paint It Forward Nevis

This is an Art Camp program I designed to stimulate the minds of Nevisian children with their own imagination and creative spirit by teaching visual literacy, drawing and painting. http://www.journeynevisonline.com/paintitforward/