My Story:
I've been an artist for as long as I can remember. At 13 I was studying realistic oil painting technique under American painter Frederik Grue — learning to observe carefully, build slowly, and commit to craft. That early discipline shaped everything that followed.
I went on to study Illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where I trained under some of the most influential instructors in the field — including Burne Hogarth, Harry Carmean, and Peter Liashkov. Art Center doesn't teach you to make pretty things. It teaches you to solve visual problems with precision and intention.
From there I spent years in television animation and video games — learning to communicate complex ideas clearly, tell stories visually, and execute at a professional level under real constraints. I was part of the team that pioneered early toon-shading techniques on the video game Fear Effect.
My path into healthcare branding started through a referral. A healthcare marketing client began sending physicians my way, and I quickly became fascinated by the unique challenges they faced — not just in patient care, but in communicating their expertise, building credibility across multiple audiences, and growing organizations that could outlast any single practitioner.
What started as a handful of referrals became a specialization. Today Emiko Design Studio works exclusively with physicians and healthcare leaders who are building something bigger — practices, platforms, research organizations, and thought leadership brands that need to earn trust at an organizational level.
Beyond the work:
When I'm not building physician brands, I'm painting. The same principles that guide brand design — observation, composition, the relationship between form and meaning — show up in the studio too. It's all the same discipline, different surfaces.
I live in the Bradenton/Sarasota area with my partner Chris and our two dogs.
Let's Talk:
If you're a physician ready to build a brand that matches your ambition, start with a complimentary discovery call.
