Duration: Almost three years.

Staff: Just me and two sweet, but demanding, Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Education: Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Cultural influences: Local Fairfield County hangouts: The Captain’s Cove in Bridgeport and eating greasy French fries; Long Island Sound, 5 p.m. at South Pine Creek beach; outside of the Hi-Ho Motel at Barcelona Café eating tapas with friends while hipper-than-most tunes play in the background; the annual Pequot Library book sale in Southport and finding something super-groovy for cheap.

Environment: I sit at a vintage Paul McCobb Planner Group desk with an inspiration wall of random photos, objects and illustrations collected over time: an original Xavier Cugat painting my dad gave me; a small, polished, gray stone skull that my wife’s uncle, artist H.C. Westermann had in his Brookfield, Connecticut, studio; and a butterfly my daughter made when she was in preschool, of a foam egg carton, paper, paint and pipe cleaners .

Philosophy: Being a dad is cool.