Résumé and Contact Information

I have been involved with Graphic Design before computers took over the mechanical artist's job. I love the work and the challenges that each project brings. I have created animation for 3 films under director Lois Siegel of the National Film Board and continue to find new graphic design problems that challenge me. I have created several websites which are listed near the bottom of this page, feel free to visit them.

 

You can contact me at (403) 966-8242 or email me at schoart@shaw.ca

 

Below is my resume, please feel free to read it.

 

PROFILE

 

A results driven, customer focused graphic artist and designer with more than 36 years experience managing advertising and internal communication needs at the national level for an established major Canadian corporation and for regional corporations. Motivational and empowerment designer style with a record of creating high-end presentations, publications, multi-media, illustrations and websites bringing attention to customer’s needs within a highly competitive corporate world.

 

Graphic designer qualifications:

 

• Website design

• Internal/external educational materials development

• Computer animation

• Expertise working with print suppliers

• Professional experience on PC and Mac OS

• Illustration in multi-mediums

• Corporate advertising

• Video creation/editing

 

SELECTED CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

 

• Creating wine labels for Calgary Co-op Wine Spirits Beer - the Social Collection.  A total of 13 distinct labels.

• Working in Safety & Regulatory Affairs within Canadian Pacific, created documents to capture data for major train derailments, saving corporation from  
   repeat investigations to clarify facts. Savings to corporation $15,000 in travel/hotel expenses.

• Created for Hospitals (in Ontario, Quebec and the U.S.) touch-screen interface for patients. This allows patients to order food, track medication, order
   entertainment, and educate themselves on relevant surgeries from their bed. Utilizing simplistic graphics and large buttons, this aided patients who may be
   apprehensive or confused to access the information/entertainment they would request. This rolled out to over 300 hospitals generating over $2 million.

• Hired by Canadian Pacific Police to design the new vehicle wrap for their law-enforcement vehicles. Varied from Dodge 1500 trucks to cruisers. The design
   needed to be obvious that the law-enforcement was rail-related and was required to been seen clearly in low-light situations. Two designs were created
   and used across Canada and in the U.S.

• Hired by the National Film Board under director Lois Siegel, created animation for two films; Stunt People and Baseball Girls. Both films won major
   Canadian Film awards.

• Teaching at Reeves College. I have learned to master the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite and helped prepare numerous students find gainful employment in t
   the Graphic Arts industry. I have received several recommendations from the students and received 2014 Top Honours Certificate for Consistent High
   Standards of Workmanship from the Director of the College as the most valuable employee.

• Pursued quotes from different commercial printers for internal publications. Saved Canadian Pacific $600,000 in print costs by using commercial printers
   rather than internal contract printer.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 

Websites

intercitygroup.com, intercite.com, meditel.com, hopitel.com, christineschoning.com, laoshealth.org, reikiedds.com, erlendsonphotography.com

 

 

2022 - Visual College of Art & Design

Online Computer Graphic Design Instructor

 

Duties - Teach students the principles and software of computer graphic design in a Mac and PC environment. Online instruction, teaching Corporate Design, Typography,Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Concept Development, Advertising Design, Digital Photography and Portfolio Development.

 

2022 - New Guys Games

Freelance Graphic Design

 

Duties - Create the look and feel of board and card games. Designed the board game "Them Bonzz", created the game pieces, playing board, instruction sheet, carrying bag and  packaging. Created the design and packaging for "PASS" card game.

 

 

2022 - Janus Academy

Freelance Graphic Design

 

Duties - Mural design and painting. Designed and painted three wall murals highlighting the themes of the Janus Academy.

 

2022 - T&P Games

Freelance Graphic Design

 

Duties - Create the look and feel for music playing cards. Designed 12 sets of music-based playing cards in different musical keys. Designed all subsequent advertising.

 

Duties - Teach students the principles and software of computer graphic design in a Mac and PC environment. Online instruction, teaching Corporate Design, Typography,Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Concept Development, Advertising Design, Digital Photography and Portfolio Development.

 

2015 to 2021 - Calgary Co-op (Retired)

Computer Graphic Designer

Duties - Design retail signage, in-store and out-of-store. Created animation for in-store Adflow screens (featuring Make it Tonight products,Calaway Park tickets, Banff Ski Resort tickerts, Calgary Flame tickets and special event animations), for all food stores and gas stations. For food stores, created all in-store signage (hanging banners, till signage, bag stuffers, aisle header cards, cart barns, cheque stands, floor decals, reusable bags designs and illustrations, shelf talkers, pole signs, till screens, price stickers and produce box signage. For Home Health Care, I created product signage. For the gas stations, I created the pump animations, Deal of the Week animations, pump toppers, static gas pump screens, pump nozzle ads (called Nozzle Talkers), gas hose ads and door decals and advertisements. For Wine Spirits Beer, I created e-commerce images, Social Collection wine labels, the Mid-Town outdoor sign animations, wine cooler decals, door decals, outdoor window decals, and floor decals. For Calgary Co-op Pharmacy, I created  animations (flu season, medication blister packaging, colds, season ailments) for in-store and for Pinnacle Health Centers.

 

2013 to 2015 - Reeves College

Computer Graphic Design Instructor

 

Duties - Teach students the principles and software of computer graphic design in a Mac environment. I instruct the students what makes a design work and why, and what doesn’t work. I teach the class Adobe Creative Suite CS6 and Creative Cloud. I also teach advanced Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, After Effects, Acrobat, Dreamweaver (and CSS), Fireworks, Sony Vegas Pro 13 and CorelDRAW X7. I verify that they are learning the tools that will find them gainful employment in the graphic arts environment when they graduate.

 

2009 to 2012 - Canadian Pacific (Retired)

Co-ordinator - Customer Service Domestic and International

 

Duties - Update TMS in respect to customer load tenders; notify customers when their cars/containers are to be placed upon the short-term holding track; notify customers of operational failures; report seal violations and new seal numbers; assist customers with OS&D (Overage, Shortage & Damaged products) research. Within the Spirit Committee, provide all graphics for posters and desk drops.

 

1996 to 2009 (Position was abolished) - Canadian Pacific

Communications Designer - Health, Safety, Security & Environmental

 

Duties - Create and design all printed media, presentations, videos, spectra-lite displays, conference and web graphics for across system. To transfer safety videos to digital format for on-line library.To support the Health, Safety, Security & Environmental department in all graphic services needs. Coordinated all printing with internal and commercial printers. To teach graphics programs to US employees (Adobe CS2 and CorelDRAW 12). To set up safety conferences in external locations, prepare for over 600 attendees and create all accompanying literature, brochures, Spectralite displays and presentations.

 

1979 to 1996 - Canadian Pacific

Graphic Artist/Illustrator - Corporate Communications & Public Affairs

 

Duties - Create and design all printed media, illustrations, displays and videos for the Corporation. This encompassed internal communications (e.g. CP Rail News) and external publications (e.g. US Report, Canadian Report). Worked with outsourcing typography to create final graphics and partnering with commercial printers following the print process from Colourkeys to final prints.

 

1981 to Present - Inter-City Group

Creative Director/Illustrator/ Graphic Artist

 

Duties - On a freelance basis, design all advertisements, printed media, magazine ads, websites, on-site graphics, catalogues, animations, image manipulation and vehicle wraps.Create all logos for sub-companies within Inter-City group (Panadata, Hopitel, Meditel, Inter- City Video, Inter-City TV, and Connex). Create graphics and animation for touch-screen monitors for over 60 hospitals in Quebec, Ontario and the US. Majority of the projects are created in both, French and English.

 

2011 - 2013 - Michaels Arts Store

Fine Arts Teacher

 

Duties - Teaching fine arts techniques to adults and children. Teaching landscape/portrait techniques using acrylic, oil, egg tempura, watercolour and alkyd. Won awards as best art instructor for June, July and September 2012 for entire Graumacher chain in both Canada and U.S.

 

1982 to 1996 - Roussan Publishing Inc.

Graphic Artist, Book Designer, Illustrator

 

Duties - On a freelance basis, to read the manuscripts and design the internal look of the book, to design and illustrate the covers, to design and execute all the public relations materials. Designed 46 published books for young adults.

 

1984 to 1986 - National Film Board of Canada

Graphic Artist, Animator

 

Duties - Under the direction of Director Lois Siegel, created animation for the films "Stunt People" and "Baseball Girls."

 

Programs

Canadian Pacific has used graphic programs in the PC environment since they were first available in 1981.  I’ve worked with most of these programs when introduced as Version 1:

 

Graphics Programs

CorelDRAW 2023, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Professional, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush, After Effects, Adobe Animate, Dreamweaver, Muse, Bridge, On-Location, Soundbooth), AVS Video Converter, Poser 7, Microsoft Office 365, Bryce 8, Blender, Micrografx Simply 3D, AVS Suite, and Sony Vegas Pro 13.

 

Art Mediums

I work with acrylic, watercolour, oil, alkyd, egg-tempera, inks and airbrush. I work on all media boards.

 

Education

 

2015 - Ongoing training from Adobe Manuals and on-line tutorials. Working towards being an Adobe Certified Teacher.

2009 - CorelDRAWX5 Boot Camp - Mastering CorelDRAW X5 - Phoenix AZ.

2008 - Photoshop Users, Metafore, Calgary, AB

2008 - Mastering InDesign CS3, Metafore, Calgary, AB

2007 - Advanced Users Adobe Illustrator 7.0, Metafore, Calgary, AB

2007 - MS Office 2007, Metafore, Calgary, AB

2005 - Advanced Photoshop 4.0, Calgary, AB

2004 - PageMaker 7.0, Calgary, AB

2003 - CorelDRAW Users, Calgary, AB

2001 - CorelDRAW 10, Calgary AB

1999 - Website Design, HTML for Professionals, Calgary, AB

1995 - PowerPoint for Professionals, Montreal, QC

1987 - Introduction to HTML, Montreal, QC

1986 - Dawson College - Adult Education - HTML

1984 - 1985 - Toastmaster's Adult Education - Graphic Design

1984 - Pagemaker, Montreal, QC

1982 - CorelDRAW 2.0, Montreal, QC

1980 - Dawson College - Adult Education - Graphic Design - Certificate

1976 to 1979 - John Abbott College - Art & Design - Diploma

1976 - Secondary V Certificate

 

Interests

I have been involved with theatre in an actor and director's capacity.  I enjoy fine art painting and illustration, canoeing, horseback riding, cycling and archery.  I have volunteered at Pioneer Ranch Camps - Sundre since 2006 as a camp counsellor, arts & crafts specialist, drama teacher, kitchen staff.

 

At the Janus Academy, taught autistic children painting.

 

I have volunteered to be a Beta tester for Microsoft for Windows 7, Internet Explorer 8 and MS Office 2010. I have also volunteered as a Beta tester for CorelDRAW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7.

 

I have volunteered at Inn from the Cold for 4 years, acting as overnight security for our guests.