Graphic Designer (retired) and creator of the "Class of '70 Turns 70" graphic - as seen on this website.
I really lost touch with almost all my high school friends. I've always thought that was because I literally left the graduation ceremony, went home to get a few hours sleep and then left at 3 AM for a five hour drive to college. My first class was at 11:00 AM the day after graduation. I've always sort of missed having a last summer to hang out before flying off to different parts.
Anyway, I was an art education major at Indiana University of PA and after two years realized I absolutely wanted no part of being a teacher and instead wanted to pursue commercial art. That had always been my goal, but the guidance office at Kenrick cautioned me that commercial art was a male-dominated field and I should set my sights on something more female-friendly (Hello, school teacher). I took a year off to sort of figure out what I wanted to do
and ended up going back to IUP to finish up but as a fine arts major. Still not the right background for my goal, but a lot closer than Art Ed.
During the summer between my junior and senior years I volunteered to paint scenery for a local theater group and found myself working along two middle-aged guys who just happened to be graphic designers and had a studio
near Willow Grove. They were kind enough to take me under their wings and let me hang out and learn what I could at their studio.
Graduated in '75 and went off to live in Pittsburgh for a year with some college friends where I did all kinds of jobs from waitress, barmaid, shoe store manager and print shop typist.... you know, all those first rate jobs a BA in art will help you land.
Ended up coming back home after a year and doing freelance work for my two artist friends. Eventually landed a job doing graphic design and marketing for an engineering company in Philadelphia.
Got married in '78 and had my first child in '81. She was born with a host of health problems and was my full-time job for quite a few years. When we realized her allergies and skin problems did better when we came to the seashore, we decided to move permanently to the Jersey shore in 1985. My jobs here have mostly been doing production and design for assorted newspapers from the CMC Herald, Wildwood Leader, CM Gazettes, Atlantic County Currents and the Atlantic City Press.
I retired from newspapers in 2010 and began pursuing fine arts again. I'm now producing digital drawings which I reproduce as fine art pieces or as note cards, calendars, etc. under the name "Maisey's Doodles". Seems I am moving away from the commercial stuff and heading more towards producing "fine" art (is that such a thing?) Anyone who is on Facebook can look at my art page which is under the same name, Maiseys Doodles.
In my personal life I am married to my college sweetheart, Charlie Place who I met when he was dating my friend and I was dating his friend and we realized that we were better suited with each other. It was complicated but in the end it all worked out, and I guess for the best as we've been together for forty-odd years (some years a bit odder than others). We have two daughters who are enjoying very independent lives and no grandchildren. But we do have a cat, Miss Addie who we adore.
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