Website & Graphic Design
"Really I just wanted to play video games on this thing... and maybe hack into the school's computers."
My experience as a multimedia artist is really a complex blend of website design, graphic design, audio & video, social media, gaming and fan & scholarly communities. It is difficult to feature one aspect or project without discussing the other elements. In this section I will try to focus on the website & graphic design features of my freelance years. I started tinkering with computers in the ancient past - somewhere between 1980 & 83 when I received a Commodore Vic 20 from my parents as a gift. Really I just wanted play video games on this thing... and maybe hack into the school's computers. I definitely got to play a lot of video games - the hacking part... well, I can say the 1980s were an interesting time. Lets talk graphic design instead!
I began my journey with Photoshop around 1996 when I needed to make the CD packaging for my band at the time. As with all things computer related, I was self-taught, and I plunged headlong into my first project: a 16 page full-color insert with all the song lyrics, photos and a picture disc. I enjoyed the learning experience and the freedom to be creative with the band's visual representation. I have created countless personal and paid projects since then and moved on to learning website design around the year 2000. I started audio production & recording around the same time and then video editing with Adobe Premiere around 2004.
Feel free to explore the brief portfolio to the right. When you click on an image it will give you additional details about that specific project. See also the music gallery in the section below for additional graphic design notes.
The first professional logo I was asked to create. For an electrical contracting company called Victory Electric. More details in the gallery on the right side of the page.
Website & Graphic Design
Explore my portfolio of web & graphic design below - each image has some details about the project.
 Victory Electric Enterprises Inc. LogoOne of my first logo concept designs in 1990s. For an electrical contracting company. I designed the concept and had a professional illustrator friend hand draw it. Later fine tuned in Photoshop. Link to business is below: |
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 Victory Electric Man!The knight portrayed in the previous image; the Victory Electric Logo character brought to life in full 3D for the 21st century! Multiple tools, A.I. generation & Photoshop. Victory man has a lot of energy - and he is ready for your next electrical emergency! |
 Ace Sportsbook Animated GIF Ad.I created many web assets and graphics for Ace Sportsbook. This is an animated GIF used to advertise on affiliate websites. Created in Photoshop or similar software. |
 Ace Sportsbook Animated GIF Ad.I created many web assets and graphics for Ace Sportsbook. This is an animated GIF used to advertise on affiliate websites. Created in Photoshop or similar software. |
 Logo for Ace Per HeadI created many web assets and graphics for Ace Sportsbook. A division of Ace Per Head. Link below... |
 Ace Sports Book LogoI created many web assets and graphics for Ace Sportsbook. A division of Ace Per Head. Link below... |
 Maptoons Town Cartoon MapMy friend and I were the artists for Maptoons for about a year, creating all of their poster size town maps for that time period. Each business who pays for a spot on the map would get a cartoon logo representation on the map. We illustrated the entire map including the grass, streets and created MANY new logos for companies that did not have one. Most of the elements of the map were created and compiled in Photoshop. Each map was approximately 30 inches wide when printed. |
 Logo I created for McHugh Institutional FurnishingsFormerly J.S. Mchugh - I created many web assets, two logos, and at least 3 different re-designs of their website. A large institutional furnishings company, they furnished anything from public libraries, hospitals to seats in Yankee Stadium. I also created a video promo that they used on the website and at conventions. After 13 years they are still using the logo I created for them. Link below: |
 One of my website designs for J.S. McHughIn business since 1878 - I created web media for them for about 10 years. |
 MRSOFLI - A medical billing company.I created the Logo and the website for them. |
 A Later Re-design for MRSOFLIWebsite design for medical billing company. |
 Ted Nasmith WebsiteThis is one of the websites I designed for famed Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith. He still currently uses this design through another webmaster. I have actually worked on several media projects and video interviews with Ted. |
 The Perilous Quest. Author WebsiteI created a website, social media, blog, video launch day, and other marketing help for author Mark Sebanc of Canada. The Perilous Quest is an ongoing fantasy novel series. |
 United Exhaust Shop WebsiteI created multiple websites for United Exhaust with exhaustive custom graphic and logo design. I also created a short video commercial promo for them. |
 Tommys Place LogoA group of bars on Long Island. I created logos and websites for them. |
 Middle-earth Network LogoThe logo I created for the Middle-earth Network. I was one of the co-founders of the company. |
 My Middle-earth Social NetworkAn early design of the social network the Middle-earth Network created for sci-fi & fantasy fans. At one time, the network hosted over 300 websites of fans, artists and merchants, and thousands of users! It was all designed on a wordpress multi-site platform that we designed. Note in the picture our interview with actor John Rhys Davies. |
 Oloris Publishing WebsiteOloris Publishing was part of the Middle-earth Network Inc. group that I was a co-founder of. Many of the sites on the multi-site wordpress platform were of my design or management. |
 Middle-earth Network WebsiteA later design of the Middle-earth Network home page. This shows links to more of featured sites. |
 Middle-earth NetworkYet another re-design of the Middle-earth Network home page. This was the last design before the company became Legendarium and was later sold to another company. |
 Middle-earth Network WebsiteMiddle-earth Network Homepage final design featuring further links of the community. |
 L'Approdo Restaurant WebsiteThis was the landing page of an early website I created for a restaurant in Sicily, Italy. |
 Conan Properties Website Concept ProposalThis was a concept website I designed for a proposal we gave to Paradox Ent. - the owners of Conan properties and other intellectual properties of R.E. Howard |
 Ken Kelly - Fantasy Artist WebsiteOne of the several websites I created for famed fantasy artist Ken Kelly - who sadly passed away recently. He painted man Conan book covers as well as some of the most famous album covers in Rock music, including KISS "Love Gun", "Destroyer" and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow "Rising" album covers. I worked with Ken for his websites & social media for over a decade. |
 Cedarlore Forge - Bladesmith & Illustrator WebsiteI created this and other websites for bladesmith David DelaGardelle. David created the featured sword for the first Marvel's THOR movie. I have worked on a lot of varied projects with David. You can checkout more of David's work at the link below: |
 Cedarlore WebsiteHere is the page that featured the sword from THOR. |
 More THORAnother page from the website I created for David - with details on his forging of the THOR sword. |
 Still shot from video with CedarloreOne of the video projects I worked on with bladesmith David DelaGardelle. This still features his blacksmithing shop. |
 Still from my video about a spear.One of the video projects I worked on with bladesmith David DelaGardelle. This still features him forging a spear we worked on together. |
 Still shot from video I madeThe final product of the spear made by David DelaGardelle - featured in the video we made. |
 Centereach Bible ChurchOne of the church websites I have designed. |
This gallery is only a brief sampling of the many varied projects I have worked on over the years.
Videos I Produced
CritterCan1080p
CritterCan1080p
"The Eve of Legends" - A Tribute to Ken Kelly Fantasy Art
J.S. McHugh Premium Contract Furnishings
How to Become a Bookie Agent? | Pay Per Head Beginner's Guide
These are some of the promotional videos I have produced for clients. I created all the animations, scripts and most of the voiceovers in these videos.
Project Highlights Part 1
Project Highlights Part 2
Many Adventures...
Spanning a creative journey of over 30 years, it would be very difficult to list every project, let alone remember them all. I have endeavoured to list a few highlights here on this 'projects' or portfolio page. These are not necessarily in chronological order, and I plan to add more items over time. Feel free to email me at StrongSword@gmail.com with any questions about a specific project or skill I have experience in.
Professional Musician: 1996-2023
~ Live Performance ~ Songwriter ~ Producer ~ Recording Artist
~ Live audio & Podcasts. Studio recording, mixing, mastering & production of 13 full-length music albums. Live broadcast shows.
Image gallery below features some highlights of my musical quest.
It should be noted that I created all the graphic design & artwork for the music albums, related websites, print & video promotional materials.
CLICK THE IMAGES BELOW TO EXPLORE MY MUSIC EXPERIENCE - MANY OF WHICH HAVE DETAILS ABOUT THE GRAPHIC DESIGN WORK THAT WAS RELATED TO EACH PROJECT.
An example of the many album covers, designs & logos I have created over the years.
A Wandering Minstrel...
Some have dubbed me a “wandering minstrel.” But not all who wander are lost! I can say that I am a creator, or as Tolkien would say, a "sub-creator." I'm a writer and multimedia designer (a designer in multiple mediums.) I've played a founding role in many of the exciting endeavors and concepts that have grown out of the fertile ‘chance-meeting’ grounds of fantasy literature & related scholarly communities; including but not limited to the Mythgard Institute. Mythgard later grew into Signum University!
My wanderings include the nationally touring Celtic fusion bands; Fathom, King Keltic, and the Tolkien-inspired folk fantasy project: Lonely Mountain Band. My various musical projects have garnered hundreds of thousands of downloads, and views through iTunes, and other digital outlets, including dozens of viral videos on YouTube. Fans of my music have even gone to the lengths of converting my music into a format that can be played within the virtual game world of Lord of the Rings Online; where as founder of the LOTRO kinship Lonely Mountain Band, I won “Best Gaming Guild” in the 2013 Dragon Slayer Awards by GuildLaunch.com and my gaming group has been mentioned on multiple news outlets including the BBC.
From tabletop role-playing games and backyard adventures of the imagination to historical and fantasy reading, bible scholarship, and music composition; the spiritual has ever been tied to imagination for this minstrel.
I've made it part of my life’s goal to keep the road well traversed that leads to the “cottage of lost play.” The music of the Lonely Mountain Band can be heard without charge at MinstrelSongs.com
Performing live with my band Fathom in NYC.
Project Highlights Part 3
Other Adventures...
Adventures make one late for dinner... I will be adding more to this section when I'm not late for dinner.
For now here are some main points:
~ Featured Speaker at scholarly conferences: Signum University & other gatherings
~ Founder of various organizations & clubs
~ Bible Teaching Lectures monthly
~ Treasurer of local homeschool group
~ Homeschool father of five sons
~ Interviewer, writer & host of many online broadcasts
~ Nationally touring musician
~ Winner 2013 Dragon Slayer Award
At the Amazon premiere of "The Rings of Power" at Lincoln Center in NYC in 2022. To my right is Dr. Corey Olsen, President of Signum University & to my left: David DelaGardelle, Bladesmith. Some adventures include kilts.