About Marcus

For as long as I can remember, art has inspired me. When I was barely more than a toddler, my grandmother would give me scrap paper and a pen to keep me quiet in church. Little did she know she was handing me the tools of my destiny. As I grew older, drawing became a means of escape. I could create objects, friends, even entire worlds from my imagination and bring them to life with my hands. My mother took notice of this gift and nurtured it by enrolling me in classes and encouraging me to participate in community art events. My father, on the other hand, believed the art was a waste of time, and that physical labor was how a real man made a living. But he inspired me, too, for as I got older his words spawned a need to prove him wrong by pursuing my talents.   As an awkward junior high school student, I was certainly no academic boy wonder. But then I was introduced to the world of comic books and discovered a whole new realm of possibilities. I developed a passion for reading and an appreciation for graphic art. I was praised for my creative talents and even sold drawings to my classmates for some easy cash. (Take that, Dad!) Lo and behold, I had discovered my true purpose. I was meant to be a comic book artist!   I enrolled in a technical high school that offered Commercial Art courses. I learned about conceptualization and the arrangement of text and images. It wasn’t drawing comics, but it captured my interest. Spurred on by my teachers, I continued my education in Advertising Art at Chattanooga State Technical Community College, where I was blessed to encounter Allan Wallace and Jeff Morris, two marvelous professors who pushed me to new heights. I was used to feeling like an artistic juggernaut on my home turf, but in the larger world, I was just one of many supporting characters. As the years went on, I found myself unemployed and insignificant. I felt beaten down by rejection. I battled valiantly, but the going was rough and money was tight. My mother encouraged me to start a business, so I joined forces with two fellow designers and we struck out on our own. The gambit paid off, word got out, and business slowly began to come in. Meanwhile, I served as Art Director at Pioneer Mat for almost 10 years, but I never relinquished my alter ego as a freelance designer for hire. One day an extraordinary woman by the name of Dene Rosenthal commissioned me to do some illustration work. She gave me advice on running my company and on my life in general. Dene taught me to find my passion in design and focus on it. She is one of the people who forever impacted my life, inspiring me to continue to grow and use my gifts to help others. Thanks to her encouragement, I entered school again and graduated with a degree in Graphic Design. The experience and proficiency I acquired helped me transform my talent into a thriving, prosperous venture.   I truly love what I do. Art is my occupation, but it is my hobby as well. Not many people are lucky enough to get paid to do something they would already be doing in their free time. I am grateful to Mrs. Dene Rosenthal, Mr. Jeff Morris, Mr. Alan Wallace, and Mr. Lee Conner with other teachers and family that nurtured my talent and motivated me to pursue my dreams.

My dad has since passed away, but he got to realize that my art, my passion, is hard work and can pay the bills. He was very proud of what I have accomplished thus far in life. I am thankful for all of my clients, past, and present. Every time a client entrusts me to help bring their vision to life, they are adding a line to the story arc of my purpose; they are helping me develop the gift that God has given me. It’s is an incredibly humbling experience!