Mark Sheppe

I am an artist, painter, graphic designer, web developer and photographer.
In addition to the above I like and practice typeface design, tai chi, qigong and cooking.
I’m the graphic designer for the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.
I earned a degree in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1994. My focus was on portrait painting and painting for illustration. I worked at a financial institution to make ends meet and support my art habit. The internet boom hit and I became a web designer and developer. I handled all aspects of web development including art, design, client side programming, server side programming and database development. I did that for many years and then returned to earn a Masters degree in graphic design. So, the order of experience and learning is the opposite of most designers of my generation. I learned the digital side first and then later learned the print side.
I don’t like using stock art work or stock photography. If deadlines and budgets allow, I believe original work should always be created for a concept rather than trying to find stock elements.