Thomas Casmer, B.A., B.F.A.,
Department Head

Hamline University, Saint Paul, MN; College of Visual Arts, Saint Paul, MN [Illustration and Design]. Former Chair and Associate Professor of Illustration and Fine Arts at College of Visual Arts. Previously taught illustration, drawing, and communication design courses at Brown College. Professional experience includes 24 years as an Illustrator, Designer, Art Director and Fine Artist.

Gary Allen Barker, B.A.

University of Indianapolis. Mr. Barker has taught at the University of Indianapolis, and was visiting artist to such universities as California Institute of the Arts, Ithaca College in New York, Indiana State University, and Ball State University.  Since 1983, he has been the Senior Cartoonist for the "Garfield" comic strip.  He has also worked as Creative Director for IE Worldwide and as Designer/Illustrator for RM Enterprises, Hong Kong. He has been a Comic Book Artist for such publishers as Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse, and has been a Designer/Layout Artist for Film Roman Studios, Paramount Studios and Warner Brothers International. www.garybarker.com 

Don Brandes, B.F.A., M.F.A.

University of Missouri; Syracuse University. Former illustrator for Hallmark Cards. Taught at Kansas City Art Institute. M.F.A. Thesis Adviser for Academy of Art College, San Francisco. Numerous clients including Northwest Airlines. www.donbrandes.com

Eric Chapman, B.F.A.

Ringling College of Art and Design. Past professional experience includes creating page design, graphics and illustration for The Pantagraph, Bloomington, IL. Eric is a 2004 graduate of Ringling’s Illustration Program, and currently works on cover design, graphics and illustration at The Bradenton Herald. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Second Place and Honorable Mentions for Artist Illustration, Illinois Press Association, and Honorable Mention for General Excellence in Artist Illustration, Florida Press Club.

Robin Cody, B.F.A., M.F.A.

University of Massachusetts; Queens College, City University of New York. Represented in galleries in Florida and Maine, and in numerous regional and national exhibitions, and private collections. www.robincody.com 

Cheryl D. Cooper, B.F.A.

Ringling College of Art and Design. Exhibitions: Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, American Illustration. Clients include American Express, National Geographic, Delta, Visa, TIME, CBS, NBC, BellSouth, IBM, General Tire, Viking Henry Holt, numerous books and periodicals.

Fiore Custode, B.F.A.

Ringling College of Art and Design. Studied at Pratt Institute. Major exhibitions: Florida Artists Invitational, Valencia Community College. Collections: Ohio University, Valencia Community College. Member: Board of Directors of Sarasota Art Association.

Regan Todd Dunnick, B.F.A.

Ringling College of Art and Design. Nationally and internationally exhibited illustrator. Graphis, Adweek's All Creative team, American Illustrators traveling exhibitions. A number of his works are in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. Clients include: Atlantic Monthly, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Business Week, Newsweek, Better Homes and Gardens, Sports Illustrated and numerous other publications as well as companies such as General Electric, Dai Nippon-Japan, Pepsi, and Levi-Strauss. regandunnick.com 

Patrick Fiore, B.F.A., M.F.A.

Syracuse University; School of Visual Arts. Studied at the University of South Florida. Numerous national clients. Major exhibitions: Visual Arts Museum, Syracuse University, Society of Publication Designers. Published in Communication Arts Illustration Annual, Step-by-Step, and Print Magazine. Member of the Society of Illustrators.

Larry Forgard

To view this bio, scroll down through the CORE Studio Faculty page. 

Lisa French, B.F.A.

California State University, Long Beach. Freelance illustrator. Clients include the NFL, See's Candy, Petsmart, Outrigger Hotels, British Petroleum, TIME Magazine, National Park Service, Anatomical Illustration Clients, Syntek Pharmaceuticals, Axcan Schwarz, Allergen, Karl Storz, 3M, and Steri-Oss. Her work has been accepted in numerous exhibitions including the Society of Illustrators, Illustration West, and Communication Arts. Member of the Society of Illustrators and the Graphic Artist Guild.

Brian Gomien

Mr. Gomien has studied at The Art Academy of Cincinnati and The University of Cincinnati. He majored in Commercial Art at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati. Previous experience includes: Assistant Director of a mural project for Cincinnati Public Schools under the executive direction of artist Terrence Corbin; Art Director for the Indoor Bonsai Company; Senior Illustrator, designer and production artist for Meder's Special-Tees; private study with artist Merle Rosen; Director of Animation for Relevant Impertinence Productions; Production Artist for Baron Engraving; Photo Retoucher for Alkamie Studios; Senior Designer, Illustrator and Production Artist for Aquarius Silk Screen; Layout and Production Artist for Sign X-Press. Works of note: vehicle wrap graphics for Aquarius Silk Screen T-shirt design and illustration for Oscar Scherer State Park; and CD sleeve and j-card design for the band Mohenjo Daro's Baksheesh release.

Mike Hodges, B.F.A., M.F.A.

Auburn University; Syracuse University. Clients: New Yorker, Chicago Tribune, Esquire, Wall Street Journal Reports, Sports Illustrated, i, MasterCard, ABC Television, UPS, IBM, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Federal Express, Delta Airlines and Absolut. Numerous national awards and exhibitions. Member: Society of Illustrators; Dallas Society of Illustrators; Illustrators' Club of Washington/ Maryland/Virginia.

Carl E. Johnson, B.F.A., M.F.A.

Colorado State University; University of Wisconsin-Madison. Taught at Ithaca College, Columbus College of Art and Design, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Exhibitions: Butler Institute of Art, "R.S.V.P." at Society of Illustrators. Collections: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Huntington National Bank, Marshall Erdman and Associates. Fellowships: Millay Colony of the Arts, Saltonstall Foundation.

Peter McGinn, D.A.

Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland; Rome Scholar; Andrew Grant Traveling Scholar, France and Italy. Studied film directing at Polish Film School. Painter/illustrator, production designer/director, teacher: BBC TV, CETO, UNESCO in London and overseas. Transatlantic agents and clients.

Octavio Perez, B.F.A.

Ringling College of Art and Design. Worked at Hallmark Cards, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri for three years as a greeting card designer and illustrator. Currently works on concept design and execution of editorial illustrations and news graphics for the St. Petersburg Times. Numerous national clients including Hallmark Cards Inc., GEAR Inc., Cabela's, and Humanities Magazine.

George Pratt, B.F.A. 

Pratt Institute. Mr. Pratt has previously taught at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a full-time instructor with the Illustration Academy’s 8-week summer program here at Ringling College. Mr. Pratt founded Pratt Institute’s Sequential Art Program and taught Methods and Media, as well as Sequential Storytelling, at Pratt for seven years. He also taught at the Joe Kubert School in Dover, New Jersey; did per diem teaching for the Master Illustration program with Marshal Arisman for the School of Visual Arts; and was a Visiting Professor at Savannah College of Art and Design. George is a successful painter; his work is in private collections in the United States, Canada, Europe, India, and Japan, and has been exhibited in the Houston Museum of Fine Art and many galleries throughout the world. George was honored to be included in Walt Reed’s book The Illustrator in America 1860-2000. He was also awarded a Gold Medal in the Spectrum Awards of 2002 and has had his work exhibited many times at the Society of Illustrators in New York. He continues to illustrate and design books and book jackets for various publishers, including: Random House, Henry Holt, Inc., Warner Books, Clarion Books, and Columbia Studios.

Hodges Soileau, B.A.

University of Southwestern Louisiana. Mr. Soileau has had a successful illustration career which lasted twenty-five years. He has worked for most of the major publishing houses in New York. Soileau was a 23-year member of the prestigious Society of Illustrators in New York. During this time he received many citations of merit for work exhibited in annual shows. He has several one man shows, and has participated in numerous group shows. His work hangs in private collections as well as the United Stated Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard permanent collections. The permanent collection of Golf Digest Magazine includes several of his paintings. Hodges is presently represented by galleries in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio. www.hodgessoileau.com

Steven Taft, B.F.A., M.F.A.

University of Utah, Salt Lake City [cum laude Painting]; Claremont Graduate University [Painting]. Before moving to Sarasota last fall, Steven served as Professor at Brown College in Minnesota where he taught Computer Video, Web Design, Computer Photo, Computer Illustration and the History of Art and Design. Steven has taught art at many other colleges, including Walla Walla College in Washington State; the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, CA; and the University of Utah, Fine Art Department. In addition to his busy teaching schedule, Steven has maintained an active exhibition schedule with numerous solo exhibitions.

Joseph Thiel, B.S., M.F.A.

Buffalo State University; State University of New York at Buffalo. Work published in Print, The New York Times Book Review, Detroit News, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Dallas Observer, Blue Sky, United Features Syndicate. Educational member of the Society of Illustrators and the College Art Association. Author of Below the Beltway from Longwind Publishing.