CV

View a selection of my graphic design work at: www.behance.net/kelseykimmel

 

Raised on Whidbey Island, WA

Lives in Bellingham, WA

 

 

Passionate, dynamic, energetic. 

Enlivens environments & inspires action. 

Receptive, inquisitive, versatile. 

Completes tasks with care & integrity. 

 

 

EXPERIENCE

 

Heavy Light Works / Langley, WA  

Production Artist (April 2021 - January 2022) 

  • Build & maintain website with Squarespace: www.heavylightworks.com  

  • Collaborate with owner & Rysing Tide to create & define Heavy Light Works identity, brand voice & marketing strategy: integrate content & verbiage into every site page to reflect brand

  • Ideate strategies & initiate projects to grow business: incorporate rentals to increase sales, conceptualize merchandise with Adobe Photoshop & edit 75+ photos & content to expand website

  • Catalogue neon artwork, develop shipping strategy & itemize components with Google Sheets

Glass Tube Bender (April 2021 - January 2022)

  • Conceptualize & design 5+ bending templates by hand & with Adobe Illustrator: measure, cut & mark glass to accurately & effectively bend to pattern 

  • Shape, bend & join glass with burners & hand torch: fuse electrodes & 5mm tubing to piece for processing 

  • Operate crossfires & manifold: with guidance, monitor gauges & temperature to ensure successful bombarding & processing 

  • Design, build & assemble neon housing with various materials, methods & tools

  • Reviewed professional publications to maintain professional & technical knowledge

 

Heavy Metal Works LLC / Langley, WA  

Fabricator (April 2021 – December 2021)  

  • Custom fabricated 10+ commercial/residential structural & cosmetic steel projects: used power & hand tools to cut & prep metal, welded components in shop & on site 

  • Comprehended 2D & 3D models: used spatial reasoning, accurately calculated & measured dimensions for layout & construction 

  • Documented & communicated process to clients & colleagues 

  • Adhered to safety practices 

 

 Painter / Langley, WA  

 (April 2019 - Present) 

  • Work independently as a freelancer: project manage & communicate directly with 6+ clients

  • Inspect & evaluate surfaces/area to estimate time frame: meet painting goals within/under estimation 

  • Employ color theory: collaborate with & guide clients to choose color that aligns with & meets their vision 

  • Determine medium & technique for best results

 

Whidbey Island Painting Inc / Freeland, WA  

Painter (February 2018 – March 2019) 

  • Collaborated with 20+ home/business owners to honor & meet their vision 

  • Prepped surfaces for painting: removed fixtures/obstructions, cleaned surfaces, ensured masking thorough & precise  

  • Repaired/drywalled damages & defects 

  • Maintained tidy workspace for methodical & efficient process 

  • Painted with keen & discerning attention: used rollers, brushes & sprays to apply paint 

  

Star Store / Langley, WA 

Mercantile Creative Director (April 2016 – January 2022) 

Assistant Manager (April 2017 – January 2022) 

  • Created/designed large scale props/displays, two still featured today

  • Merchandised clothing & dry goods to embody Star Store brand: contributed to team effort to exceed YTD sales, consecutively

  • Collaborated with managers to select, orient, train, counsel & monitor 10+ rotating employees

  • Established positive rapport with potential and actual customers: engaged with customers to market merchandise & adapted communication strategies to best suit individual needs 

  • Composed policy & procedure guide to maintain master order forms used for buying & inventory: updated digital masters & conducted inventory to replenish merchandise

  • Reviewed professional publications to maintain professional & technical knowledge  

 

Roots Landscaping and Restoration LLC / Langley, WA  

Administrative Assistant (October 2018 – October 2020) 

  • Built & maintained website with Squarespace: www.rootslandscapingandrestoration.com 

  • Designed 2019 holiday card & 3 bluff revegetation plans with Adobe Photoshop

  • Initiated & established TSheets time tracking software to seamlessly integrate clocked hours to payroll & invoices, still used today

  • Coordinated with accountant for 10+ active/rotating jobs: created & prepared invoices & estimates, categorized expenses, documented receipts, processed payroll, monitored & automated cash flow transactions with Quickbooks Online 

  • Streamlined communication between clients, employees & employer: structured systems for team collaboration & job efficiency

  • Collected & synthesized data/notes from client consultations: anticipated project requirements & translated onto shared digital platform for estimates & reference

 

Ecological Restorationist (October 2018 – October 2020) 

  • Trained new climbers: practiced rope safety procedures

  • Evaluated/assessed slope character prior to restoration: noted geographic location, terrain/soil composition, indicator species, groundwater, erosion 

  • Bio-structural erosion control: removed invasives, installed geo-technical materials to prevent erosion, revegetated with natives to fortify/strengthen critical areas 

  • Comprehended bio-structural engineering principles & applied on site, as needed 

  • Engaged with professional resources & contemporaries regarding shoreline management & health

 

Landscaper (October 2018 – October 2020) 

  • Created, sculpted, planted & installed rain gardens, water systems & other landscapes to enhance beauty to a given setting  

  • Developed native & ornamental plant vocabulary for planning, design & client communication

 

Claremont Graduate University Communications Office / Claremont, CA

Graphic Design Assistant (2011-2013)

  • Upheld brand standards across all projects & revamped Brand Standards Manual

  • Designed fliers & enhanced templates to publicize Graduate Student Council (GSC) meetings/events

 

University of Redlands Office of Marketing & Strategic Communications / Redlands CA

Contract Graphic Designer (2012-2014)

Creative Team Graphic Design Intern (Summer 2011)

  • Maintained brand standards across all projects & departments: attended press-checks to ensure print quality

  • Sustained digital asset library of 14,000+ images

  • Designed print collateral & presented concepts/designs to in-house clients: booklets, brochures, posters, invitation packages

  • Provided graphics for web & social media campaigns

  • Illustrated bulldog mascot used on promotional items

  • Drafted conceptual sketches for alumni magazine cover shoots

 

 

FREELANCE

 

Foothill: a journal of poetry / Claremont, CA

Volunteer Design Editor (2011-2017)

  • Designed 7 issues, Foothill Vol.2 No.1 - Foothill Vol.6 No.1: compiled poems, revised content & layout, prepared files for print & web: arts.cgu.edu/foothill-journal/

  • Collaborated with PhD English students & facilitated communication between artists & editors

 

 

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS

 

Pomona College / Claremont, CA 

Teaching Assistant, Advanced Topics in Contemporary Art (Fall 2012)

  • Fostered critical thinking/experimentation

  • Counseled students: guided ideation, process & critique

  • Presented powerpoint lectures on contemporary artists

 

 

EDUCATION

 

Claremont Graduate University / Claremont, CA 

- MFA Studio Art (2013) 

University of Redlands / Redlands, CA 

- BA Studio Art emphasis Graphic Design (2011) 

 

 

SCHOLARSHIPS/AWARDS/HONORS

 

American Advertising Federation Silver Award / Redlands, CA 

- Alumni Travel Brochure (2013) 

Foothill: a journal of poetry / Claremont, CA 

- Featured Cover Artist (Spring 2013) 

The Claremont Journal of Religion / Claremont, CA 

- Featured Cover Artist (Spring 2013) 

Claremont Graduate University / Claremont, CA 

- Claremont Graduate University Art Fellowship (2012) 

 


SKILLS

  • Adobe Creative Suite: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Bridge, Lightroom, After Effects (beginner), Premiere (beginner) 

  • Operational & safety knowledge of a variety of metal, glass & woodworking power tools, machinery & equipment

  • Quickbooks Online 

  • TSheets Time Tracking Software

  • Microsoft Office

 

 

TRAVEL

December 2007 – January 2020 

 

Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan 

  • Budgeted, planned & executed two, 3-week travel plans independently 

  • Swiftly adapted to fast-changing environments/cultures

  • Interacted/negotiated with people across cultural & language boundaries 

  • Enhanced problem-solving skills as a solo, female traveler in completely new environments 

Japan 

  • Immersed in Japanese culture & art through a school sponsored event with WWU Art Department  

Galapagos Islands / Ecuador 

  • Taught English to Galapagueños students 

  • Explored ecosystem: impart importance of conservation/sustainability for environment’s lasting health