ABOUT | TRAVIS MITCHELL

Design: Originally from the small town of Clinton, Missouri I graduated high school in '97 and moved to the Chicagoland area to pursue a degree in Computer Animation. At some point during college I was encouraged by a Professor to switch majors because of my keen sense of design (or should I say my innate nature to follow the design principles, both a blessing and curse). In a couple of years I graduated from the Illinois Institue of Art with an Associates Degree in Graphic Design.

Straight out of school I landed my first "real job" at the corporate headquarters of Claire's Accessories, where I designed store signage for their various subsidiaries and coordinated the printing production. A little over a year later I had enough of the corporate politics and found a new job with a small design studio known as Paramark, Inc.		    

I had a good run at Paramark, over six years. The small office enviroment provided me more freedom and more responsibility. Unfortunately, I was also learning what a nightmare the chicagoland daily commute could be, while wasting away a couple hours a day in stop-and-go traffic on the Edens Expressway. I eventually decided that I had enough experience to work from home doing freelance design... so I left in April '07.

I have been working as a graphic designer since July of '99 and continue doing design and much more. Since '08, I've primarily been working on web design projects. Working as a freelance designer allows me to work on a much broader scope of projects such as website development, animation, illustrations... I have even got to do prop and set design & help art direct a music video! I thrive on the variety and new challenges.

Music: And design is not my only passion, all the while I have become even more obsessed with music... playing guitar, drums, and song writing. During my first year of college a mysterious sum of money found it's way into my checking account and I immidiately blew it on my first guitar, a cheap Squire Stratocaster... It was enough to get me hooked. I have been involved in some fashion ever since. Music has been and still is such a challenge that it is extremely gratifying to make progress.

Art: I have been drawing my whole life, and as I age, I'm find it to be more important and fufilling than ever. My goal now, is to make it a career rather than on the back burner. Obviously, my current work is not for everyone...I hope that it will find and connect with those that it is intended for.

If you are interested in purchasing or commissioning a piece of art, need a website, logo, design, or illustration, Please contact me.





ARTIST STATEMENT

(For what it's worth...if I could communicate effectively through words, I would be a poet. If I could communicate effectively through images, I would...)

"Fragmented by contradiction, stripped of logical order, relentlessly reflected by nature, the reality of mind cannot rest. Inflicted with fear, wonder, awe and panic, my work is an obsessive compulsive expression of the human emotional experience. I fantasize that time will reveal itself as a journey to peace and acceptance of life."

My work had been described as psychotic, obsessed, methodical, paranoid, and labor intensive to an almost painful quality.




ARTIST CV

February 08 – July 08: Artwork on display at Emerald City Coffee Shop, 3938 N. Sheridan Road.

Nov 20, 2010 – Jan 20, 2011: Art on display at 4Art Gallery, 1029 W. 35th St. Chicago, IL 60609.

February 4 & 11, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event & follow-up show.

February 26, 2011: Artwork displayed at The Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace St. Chicago, IL during the Five Step Drop CD Release show.

March 4, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

April 1, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

May 6, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

May 7, 2011: Participated in the 4th Annual Art Auction to benefit Gilda's Club Chicago at the Flat Iron Arts Building. Donated a piece of work for the live auction.

June 3, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

July 1, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

July 9, 2011: Live figure drawing at the "This Things I Believe" show at Happy Dog Gallery, 1542 N. Milwaukee Ave.

August 5, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

September 2, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

September 30–October 2, 2011: Participated in the Bucktown/Wicker Park Coyote event.

October 7, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

November 4, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

December 2, 2011: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

December 9–10, 2011: Participated in the "Long Night Moon" Goth-Erotic Celebration of the Arts at The 1901 Gallery/Theatre located at 1901 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Showed work and did a couple music performances.

January 6, 2012: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

February 3, 2012: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

March 2, 2012: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building First Friday art walk event.

April 6, 2012: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building "Now you see it, Now you Don't" mural show.

May 4, 2012: Participated in the Flat Iron Arts Building "Now you see it, Now you Don't" closing show.

May, 2012: Participated in the Fine Arts Building 2nd Friday art walk (410 S. Michigan Ave.) Guest Artist at Tiffany Gholar's studio (632).

Travis' work is currently being displayed at Studio #301 in the Flat Iron Arts Building, 1579 N. Milwukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60622.