I Remember Distinctly

I was five years old when I sat by the coffee table, found a pencil and a small stack of loose leaf paper and began to draw. Even at that age, something inside me told me that this was something I wanted to pursue. It was a lot of fun.

From there, I would continue to doodle and draw more seriously - usually with pencils and ball point pens. My work seemed to be getting steadily better and I was always being praised and encouraged by my family and friends. That was something I came to crave.

Cartooning caught my imagination. I feverishly copied Fred Flintstone cartoons, Archie comics and others. I thought Betty and Veronica were pretty hot back then.

In Grade seven, I was put in an art class, but it seemed to be just a bunch of kids sitting around spilling paint and throwing putty at each other. I actually became frustrated with it all and thought then that I would not want to be a real artist anymore. I even gave up drawing all together for the next few years.

In a psychology class in grade ten, I began to doodle on my binder again. Big trucks and large farm tractors was a subject that interested me, yet I still did not even venture near the art section of my high school. Not interested.

Eventually a pretty young girl got me to go to a class and even introduced me around. I was delighted to find that there were serious artists in my school and in grade eleven and twelve, I signed up for all the classes I could. After leaving college, I found a job in a T-shirt shop and had a great time designing shirts there. This was followed by four years pumping gas because the economy was in a slump.

I finally lied my way into a job as Art Director for a Television Station in Red Deer, Alberta. I was not even qualified for that job, but quickly learned the ropes and turned out to be pretty good at it. It had a wide selection of different duties to perform and, to this day, it was perhaps the most fun and interesting job I've ever had.

After three years there, I became Art Director for a newspaper for a substantially more money. Eventually, I started my own business for graphic design. It paid the bills, but working on designs that other people tell you to do and how to do them was not for me. It was not from the heart. That is why I like to do my own art whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I now specialize in watercolour, pen and ink as well as a dabbling of acrylics, but I never turn my nose up at any form of art. I’m game for just about anything. Now that I am delving more deeply into the real art community, I am finding that they are just as friendly and dedicated as the kids I met in high school so long ago. I am liking this new realm and hope to earn a place within it for many years to come.

In March of 2018, I had the honor of meeting Robert Bateman again. (I had once attended an autograph session in the 1980's.) It was at the Robert Bateman Centre in Victoria, BC. He gave a very interesting talk about his early works and the journey he took through many different styles to end up as the spectacular realist that he is today.

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My Resumé

PROFILE

CAREER SUMMARY

Industrial Graphics Ltd.

Job Title: Sr. Graphic Designer/Production Artist

Functional Area - Design/Creativity

Period - 2010.08.01 - Current

Industry - Fleet Graphics Design/Production

Location - Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Description

Senior Graphics Designer. Principal design and layout specialist for many of the largest customers in the organization. Proficient in Mac and PC, experience in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Photoshop and CorelDraw, in both platforms. Experience with Composer (Omega) and GS Plot sign software. Experienced Web Designer with HTML and CSS. Created advanced web sites for small and mid sized companies. Strong team player and able to work independently when required. Supervisory experience, managing up to six junior graphic designers.

Roberts Lawes Design Inc.

Job Title: President and Principal Designer

Functional Area – Graphics and Web Design

Period – 1998.01.01 – 2013.09.31

Industry – Client Based Graphics

Location – Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Description

25 years of business experience dedicated to design and layout of printed materials including advertising, corporate branding, marketing, web design, original artwork client relations and general business management. Proficient in desktop publishing for magazine layouts, brochure design, Corporate Annual Reports and books. Major clients include: Dakota Design; Canada Safeway, Simmental Country Magazine and Limousin Voice Magazine. Integrity, honesty and confidentiality are guiding principals.

Northern Horse Magazine

Job Title: Graphic Design and Layout Artist

Functional Area – Graphics, Magazine Layout and Design

Period – 1992.07.24 – 1998.01.01

Industry – Equestrian and Cattle Magazines

Location – Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Description

Graphics, illustration, ad design and layout of the magazines. This position entailed logo design, photofinishing, client relations and preparation of final files for printing.

Canada Safeway

Job Title: Graphic Design and Layout Artist

Functional Area – Graphics, Newspaper and Flyer Layout and Design

Period – 1991.08.05 – 1992.07.24

Industry – Grocery

Location – Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Description

Layout and design of flyers and weekly newspaper advertisements. One of 14 graphic designers, my area of newspaper coverage was the Alberta region as well as British Columbia small towns and some Saskatchewan coverage. This position ended when Safeway made the decision to move the advertising department to Pleasanton, California.

Red Deer Advocate Newspaper

Job Title: Art Director

Functional Area – Newspaper Advertisement Design And Layout

Period – 1988.04.08 – 1991.08.05

Industry – Newspaper

Location – Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

Description

Advertisement, graphic design, ad layout, client consultation and managing the Graphic Design Department. Operating with a staff of four, this position was responsible for the daily deadlines and liason between staff and managament as well as working closely with customers.

RD Television

Job Title: Art Director

Functional Area – Graphic Design

Period – 1983.08.12 – 1998.04.08

Industry – Television

Location – Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

Description

Working for RD Television, CKRD Radion 7 and CFCR country music radio stations which all resided in the same building. Television graphics for advertisements, news and other programs. This position was responsible for the production and preparation of deliverables for the support of television and radio stations. It was a diversy position that produced props, stage design and construction parade floats and other duties in coordination with the television and radio industries.

Desktop publishing credits:

"The Grasshopper”
by Joseph L. Lothian

"Eleven Bridges to Last Chance Saloon and the Rosedeer Hotel"
by Lawrence Chrismas

“Simmental in Canada”
by Gerry Kaumeyer

“Western Horse Magazine"

“Simmental Country"

Alberta Beef Magazine”

“Limousin Voice Magazine"

“Simmental in Canada”
by Gerry Kaumeyer

Education/Training:

Alberta College of Art Field of Education:
Art and Design Location Calgary, Canada

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Field of Education:
Visual Communications Location Calgary, Canada

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
– Continuing Education Field of Education:
Web Design, HTML and CSS Coding Location Calgary, Canada

MEMBERSHIPS:

• Canadian Federation of Artists

• GALLERY AFFILIATIONS:

• Centennial Gallery – Calgary, Alberta

• Village Arts – Invermere, BC

• Old Courthouse Art Gallery – Red Deer, Alberta

WEB DESIGNS:

• www.Robertlawes.com

• www.Industrialgraphics.ca

• www.Liversuch.ca

• www.Krackersnkrumbs.ca

References – Available upon request

Let's Talk:

If you should wish to contact me to hire my graphic design services, commission a painting or drawing, or even wish to discuss the world of art and design (I love to do that), just send your requests or comments in the form below. I would love to talk to you.

This site is created and maintained by Robert Lawes

Contact: Robert Lawes