Who I Am

So, who are you?

I’m a graphic artist, illustrator, and independent abolitionist. I create artwork and founded Zerflin, where I’ll be your digital maverick, hired gun, and best friend.

Since founding Zerflin in 2000, I’ve been its driving force, showcasing my artwork in over 150 locations, with long-running shows in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Nashville, and Baltimore. My work often explores themes of love, cultural understanding, and futurism, aiming to inspire the imagination of diverse audiences.

How did you end up in Northern Quebec?

When I was 4, my family moved to Kawawachikamach, Quebec, for my father’s work as a linguist and Bible translator with the Naskapi tribe. I attended Jimmy Sandy Memorial School from Kindergarten through Grade 11, with a couple of years of homeschooling in between. Most of my time was spent in Kawawachikamach, where I quickly learned the language. By an early age, I could effortlessly shift between the four major languages spoken there: Naskapi, Innu, French, and English.

During this time, I began exploring three major hobbies: music, fixing things, and art. Fixing things took the lead in my early years—I would take apart and reassemble electronics, and my father and I even built a snowmobile from scratch.

How did you end up in the States?

After graduating from the Naskapi high school with high honors, the Governor General’s Award, and the Cree-Naskapi Award, I decided to pursue a college education in the United States with the goal of becoming a Mechanical Engineer.

Since Quebec’s education system only goes up to Grade 11, I spent an additional year of high school in my parent’s home state of Connecticut to ease the cultural transition to the US. While at Robert E. Fitch Sr. High, I took my first art class, which sparked an interest in graphic design. Though I began experimenting with design in my spare time, I remained committed to my original plan of becoming an engineer.

I was accepted to several colleges and universities, but I felt apprehensive about American schools. My only exposure to them was through MTV’s Spring Break, and I was concerned about the cost and the party culture. I wanted to focus on studying, not partying, so I ultimately chose to attend Messiah College outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

How did you become a Graphic Artist?

During the second semester of my second year in college as an Engineering student, I found myself in the back of a circuits class just before the Christmas holidays. A group of us, bored and restless, began passing around a sheet of paper, adding Christmas lights to a drawn chain.

When I drew a light and passed it to my friend Erika, she looked at my drawing and said, “Did you just draw that from memory? This looks like I could pick it up. You’re in the wrong major.”

Although I was good at Engineering, Art was my passion and my greatest talent. After much prayer and discussions with professors across various departments at Messiah, I decided to transfer to a Graphic Arts major. I began designing in 1999 and immediately saw the potential to grow my skills into a business.

Initially called Blue Eclipse Design, I built my portfolio through extensive pro-bono work. I was inspired by working for free and vowed to create a company that would be a haven for other freelancing designers, always dedicated to providing the best quality work for clients, regardless of price. I am also the artist behind all the artwork you see on this site.

As the president and founder of Zerflin, which I established in 2000, I’ve developed a particular fondness for vector illustrations, my forté and favorite form of artistic expression.

What drives your Artistic Vision?

I explore artwork through graphic design. As a graphic designer, you’re constantly thinking of the client, the message, the audience, and the story. In art school, I was told that for art, you’re supposed to ignore all those things to be free. But I don’t find those considerations binding; they fuel my creativity.

I haven’t always felt comfortable calling myself an artist—I aim to create visually pleasing things for myself and others. And so, in this way, I create.

I am the founder of Zerflin and the father of two wonderful kids. You can find out more about my company at Zerflin.com.