The Beginning

My first memory is of the Peter Pan ride in Disneyland. I remember leaning out over the side of the pirate galleon and spreading my arms wide and really believing that I was flying.  As I got older and learned more about the world, I realized that there were people who had the privilege of creating these experiences for others.  In the case of Disney, this elite group is known as the Imagineers. I knew immediately that I wanted to be one.

I spent my youth drawing maps of theme park rides and planning out entire theme parks. I built models of them out of Legos or construction paper. I also loved story boarding out entire attractions as well as copying artwork done by the Imagineers.

A copy of a painting of the Indiana Jones Adventure

My plan for a Mummy attraction long before one opened at Universal Studios

 In college I studied set and lighting design for theater at the University of New Mexico.

Installing a door handle I designed and welded together

I also had the opportunity to participate in the Walt Disney World college program for a few months where I met some Imagineers while I worked at the Rock n Roller Coaster. It was a great experience.

Dance party with Buzz

Once I had graduated from college, I did architectural illustrations and drafting for a small firm in New Mexico. I was only there for a few months before I quit, sold my stuff and spent a year traveling around the world.  I spent the entire time drawing everything I possibly could and did a little free lance illustration along the way to help support myself.

Sketching the Temple of Karnak in Egypt

I eventually realized that if I was ever going to be an Imagineer, I had to get serious. I came back to the U.S. and am now studying illustration and design at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta, GA. I still have theme parks design in mind as my goal.

A theme park teaser poster for a class at the Portfolio Center.

Basically, I love the act of creating whether it is drawing, painting, sculpting, welding, model making, animation...you name it. Nothing gets me more excited than the creative process and the ability to tell a story in three dimensional space.

A playset I designed and built  pertaining to the above poster

  I plan to use this blog to share my creative process of projects past, present, and future as well as all of my adventures that I have had on my road to a career in the themed entertainment industry.

-Mike