biography

wall murals and faux painting | Traverse City, MI 1986

I have been drawing and painting as long as I can remember. At Interlochen Arts Academy, I found out I could get paid for it and was off toward a career in design and production for the performing arts, scenic design and painting, lighting design, creative writing and visual art.
 
 
left the first show I ever got paid to paint on, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, designed by Michael Kunes at IAA for the Cherry County Playhouse (Traverse City, MI) in 1986.
 
 
After studying more theatre arts at Drew University (though I graduated with a degree in philosophy), I moved to San Francisco, where I met my wife Heather, a metalsmith, and ultimately started my first business doing custom woodworking.
custom art | San Francisco 1997

Growing out of my experience creating custom picture frames dyed and stained to order, I began building custom art furniture & display pieces, designing custom finishes for other company’s projects, including the build-to-spec of all of the built-in cabintery for one of SoMa’s first cyber cafes in 1996.
 
 
left a set of custom mirrored wall panels I built for a private residence in Nob Hill, San Francisco to the designs of architect Noel Manerud in 1997.
scenic painting | SeaWorld San Diego 2001

Heather and I took a two year detour to North Carolina School of the Arts from 1997-1999 where I pursued a MFA in Scenic Art in the excellent Design & Production division there.
 
 
We missed California though, and we moved to San Diego in 1999 work opportunity presented itself. I worked as a scenic artist in San Diego and Los Angeles for a few years before getting my California contractor’s license in 2003.
 
 
left scenic painting at SeaWorld San Diego 2001
custom art | cesar chavez trolley tile mosiacs San Diego 2006

From 2003 to 2006, I helped design & develop a significant permanent public art project involving a host of regional government agencies at the Cesar Chavez Trolley Station near Chicano Park and Barrio Logan.

 
left working on the installation of my tile mosiacs for the Cesar Chavez Trolley Station project. San Diego, 2006
wall murals | kids mural San Diego 2007

For the last six years, I’ve focused on developing more and more different kinds of projects outside of the public/entertainment arts, including commissioned paintings, residential and commercial murals, faux painting services, and marketing for artists and creative small businesses, an ever growing set of skills developed out of necessity.
 
 
Our son Hunter was born in 2005 and our daughter Logan in 2007, and we moved everyone to Pittsburgh in 2009 to be near more extended family, bringing our businesses with us, too.
 
 
left ocean themed kids room mural painted in La Jolla, CA in 2007.

curriculum vitae

 
 professional

custom art | composite work at Currant, San Diego 2008
 
composite capitals created for
Hotel Sophia, San Diego, 2008
  • 2005-present  PERRONE & STANAGE, LLC San Diego, CA
    vice president | custom design & development
  • 1999-2005 JOHN HIEMSTRA SCENIC STUDIOS San Diego, CA
    owner | custom design, build & finish
  • 2000-2003  SCENERY WEST North Hollywood, CA
    lead scenic artist
  • 1999-2002  SAN DIEGO OPERA SCENIC STUDIOS San Diego, CA
    
scenic artist IATSE 816
  • 1998-1999  NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
    Winston-Salem, NC | 
teaching assistant in scenic art
  • 
1997-1999 IATSE #635 & 491 Winston-Salem, NC
    stage hand for 635, scenic artist for 491
  • 
1997 PERRY MANSFIELD PERFORMING ARTS Steamboat, CO
    master carpenter, summer theater season
  • 1996-1997 RELAYER CUSTOM WOODWORKING
    San Francisco, CA | owner | custom design & fabrication

  • 1993-1996  MICHAEL THOMPSON GALLERY San Francisco, CA
    
production manager | wholesale art & framing


educational


 
scenic painting, NCSA 1998
design: Howard Jones
     
  • 1997-1999 NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
    Winston-Salem, NC | master of fine arts candidate in scenic art  
  • 1998 COBALT  STUDIOS White Lake, NY
    
faux wood grain master class
  • 1986-1990 DREW UNIVERSITY Madison, NJ
    
 bachelor of fine arts with honors in philosophy
  • 1983-1986 INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY Interlochen, MI
    
 high school degree with honors in design & production