As a child, Rick had an affinity to draw on any flat surface. From homework assignments to the family room walls, “It didn’t matter the whole world was a canvas back then” says Rick. While Rick was still in elementary school, his parents, hoping to save their walls and channel his energy, enrolled him in art classes at the Mott Foundation in Flint, Michigan. Rick was introduced to perspective and spent a lot of time drawing chairs. ” I still remember my teacher commenting that it was time to move on to other subjects,” says Rick.
During high school Rick spent most of his time consuming any and all forms of art, even to the exclusion of his other classes. “This may seem braggadocios, but I became the favorite to all of my art teachers. This was important because they opened my eyes to other possibilities and greater challenges. Because of my internal drive, they would introduce me to a new medium, give me some direction and let me go.”
“How did I get involved in Commercial Art?” reflects Rick. “After high school I went through a period of working on commissioned paintings. It was during this period that I realized most of my friends could not afford my paintings. So I came to the realization that if I were to duplicate my paintings then they would become affordable to more people.” So, Rick launched his career of silk-screening.” The ironic thing is I set my paint brushes down and haven’t picked them up since,” says Rick.
“It was during the 80s that I became interested in computer graphics”. “I remember getting my first grayscale monitor. It was a big step up from the green or orange colored monitors.” Rick eventually expanded his abilities to encompass design materials for promotional campaigns used in mediums such as newspaper, radio, and direct mail. Rick quickly developed his natural ability to interpret his client’s concepts and deliver exciting visual presentations.
Rick then founded Rick’s Creative Designs, an innovative print-media company. Utilizing electronic art-production methods, Rick Clark’s simple single-color designs evolved to four-color process designs for offset printing and screen-printed materials.
To complement his experience in graphic design, Rick has broadened his abilities by earning a degree as an Internet Professional. Embracing cutting edge techniques, Rick has established himself as a leader in the web-media as well as the print-media.
Today, Rick continues to push the envelope with his website designs. Reflecting on his future in the design field, Rick says “Where I go from here I don’t really know. Whether I will set down my keyboard and mouse and pick up my brushes I can’t say. All I know is I’m enjoying this too much. I would love to see where technology will be in another 50 years.”
