Hi, I'm Nathaniel and I hardly ever wear ties.
I'm an artist, designer, art director, music-o-phile, nature lover, bibliophile, coder, failed vegetarian, cat person, coffee & tea enthusiast...
...and I like to be happy.
Over the years I've found that I'm at my happiest when I'm busy learning and making new things. Not just anything(s), but thoughtful, engaging, beautified things. Things that can make other people happy too. If there's a smile on your face, they'll be one on mine.
I enjoy creating show posters, websites, album art, paper goods, motion, collages, homemade meals and surreal visual narratives.
I have an affinity for layers, blend modes, vintage printed material, x-acto knives (and the digital equivalent lasso tool). I wish I made more time to read and write and sometimes dream of the day Photoshop understands mind commands.
Still want to know more? Like my love for handmade Halloween costumes...
Some things I love...
well, I love a lot of things, but here are some things I really love... my wife, music, art, design, tea, cats, snow, the internet, forests, coffee, homemade food, cities, thinking with friends or alone, mountains, vinyl, books about the future written in the past, plants, writing, campfires, vegetables, paper that looks and smells old, seasons, grapefruit, soundscapes, water, growing, experiments, layers, making Halloween costumes from scratch, evolving, vintage national geographic, biology, life, love.
Some things I'd like to do...
make a short (animated?) film
write a book
collect more art
get better at typography
hike a mountain
make something for a magazine
read more (I need to invent 34 hours days)
design a book cover
get a short film into a film festival
learn ableton
learn screen printing
make music, not just mixtapes (but those too)
illustrate a book
design 12" art
stroll the streets of Spain
have art in a permenent collection
put on a music showcase, perhaps in the woods
get outside more (compared to when writing this)
smell the Canadian rockies
do something with fashion
"work" 4 days a week (read/write/learn/experiment/enjoy the rest)
travel.. as often as possible
make a living melding music, art and design
get in a published book
animate an album cover
perform something live (in front of people)
make a music video
learn after effects
set goals (in order to accomplish them)
Experience
I've been in the design, interactive, advertising business for 5 years and counting. Currently, I work as Senior Interactive Designer at Liggett Stashower in Cleveland, Ohio. Before that I was art directing, designing and coding at a boutique creative shop in Michigan. I also freelance for brands and people I believe in, as well as curate the blog, Think or Smile.
Skills
DESIGN: Photoshop, Flash, Fireworks, InDesign, Illustrator
DEVELOP: Dreamweaver, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Actionscript 3.0
PUBLISH: Wordpress, Tumblr, Contribute
MOTION/PERFORMANCE: After Effects, Premiere Pro, VDMX, touchOSC (live visuals)
I'm just as comfortable with Adobe and Apple products as I am with walking and talking. I also work in assorted traditional art medium, collage, painting and photography. I'm always looking to learn something new.
Elsewhere
Recent Features
Published in "Cutting Edges: Contemporary Collage"
Featured article on Fast Company's Fastco Design
Interviewed by Spanish arts blog colective futuro