I went to school to become an artist.
My definition of art was not broad enough to fit the reality. Along the way I found my passions for technology and collaboration led me to design. The art has shaped how I engage in the process of design. The images that follow are a small selection of past work.
Printmaking, drawing, and painting are my chosen media. Drawing is the foundation of all that I do. No matter what I am making, it always starts with a drawing. I use oil paint because I respond the sensual nature of the medium. It has a particular flow off the bristles of the brush. The tactile response of using wet paint into wet paint brings the act of painting alive. With the surface malleable, I blend new colors into old. In prints I spend most of my time creating woodblock relief prints. I draw the image on the block and cut it out with knives and chisels. The process of cutting the block refines and transforms the image, making it better.
Colosseo Oil on panel
Ercolano Oil on panel
Firenza Oil on panel
Phalen Garage Oil on panel
For more than twenty years I have developed creative solutions in art and design. I analyze problems and create solutions. From logos, identity packages, marketing materials, interactive CD-ROMs, Flash websites, Flash games, and HTML websites, I build for the screens in our lives. Front end web design and casual game development are my current passions.
Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network Website
Bikram Yoga Madison Website
Century College Interactive CD, ID package, promo mailer
Restaino Bunbury Interactive CD, website
Way back in time, I went to a summer school course in programming. We used Basic to make small games. I continued to try and make games for a while but my programming skills were no match for my ideas. Years later, along came the internet. Now I have migrated through HTML, CSS, JavaScript, ActionScript, Lingo, Cold Fusion, Processing, and Swift. Solving problems and making cool stuff is why I code. Some of my code can be found on github
Unicorn Unicorn platform game in P5.js
Trig Demo Interactive demo of basic trig in Processing
Circle Collisions Interactive demo of circle collisions in Processing
Electric Dreams Simple control flow programming in JavaScript
My professional practices and teaching experiences encompass art, design, and code. I strive to align my research directions to support my teaching in the classroom. The teaching motivates me to create, explore, and develop new directions. The resulting research filters into my teaching. These areas are constantly evolving and pushing new boundaries. Deciphering new technology and workflows from industry and how to break it down to meaningful and digestible chunks for my students is what I find both exciting and challenging. Currently I teach interactive media at Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
As a bonus to my students, I record many of my technical demonstrations in class. Check out my Youtube channel.
John McCaffrey