Our team can adapt to predetermined timetables or create
a detailed production schedule for an entire series of books — from
concept statement to finished content. As always we're here to
prepare final books according to traditional pre-press specs or
emerging digital delivery platforms.
Project Director
Creative Director
Managing Editor, Author
Photographer
Author, Editorial Assistant
Project Director
Mary has been the owner of The Creative
Spark since 1994. Her primary focus is on Project Management
but also participates in concept development, graphic design
and marketing. When she is not hunting down just the right
people for a project or pouring over schedules and final page
layouts, Mary enjoys traveling, reading and video production.
Her dog, Mija, helps out around the studio by barking at the
UPS guy and encouraging Mary to take breaks to walk around the
quaint little mission town of San Juan Capistrano.
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Education
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism &
Marketing;
California State University at Long Beach
Associate of Arts, Business;
Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA
Other Experiences
Professor, California State University at
Fullerton,
Magazine & Newsletter Design for PR
Students 1997-1998
Production Manager, Seal Beach Journal
Newspapers 1990-1993
Creative Director
Rob Court has over twenty years of
experience in graphic design,
illustration, book design and marketing. While utilizing a wide range
illustration, book design and marketing. While utilizing a wide range
of media, he enjoys the challenge of
rendering creative solutions
that satisfy our clients' market
strategies. Rob has written 14 books
about visual art and drawing for elemetary
students. His website,
www.scribblesinstitute.com, offers young artists advice and techniques
for drawing. Rob enjoys riding his mountain
bike, painting, and filling
sketchbooks with new places and people
visited.
Managing Editor, Author
The author of more than 25 books for
children, Elizabeth also enjoys being on the other end of the
editorial process. As an editor at The Creative Spark, her
duties include:
• Editorial development
• Coordination and direction of
authors
• Copyediting
• Photo research
• Editorial team coordination
Elizabeth is also an Italian translator.
She lived in Italy for two years—in Siena and later
Milano—and returns whenever The Creative Spark lets her
take a break!
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Humanities; University of
Colorado at Boulder
Diploma 1 grado, Lingua Italiana;
Universitá per Stranieri, Siena, Italy
Photographer
David Budd has photographed more than 75
books for The Creative Spark. His passion for photography was
born with a gift from his father: a 1965 Nikon F camera that
had belonged to David's grandfather, an amateur photographer.
After living in northern Vermont and Steamboat Springs,
Colorado, he went on to graduate from the Brooks Institute of
Photography (Santa Barbara, California) in 1995. Looking to
return to the mountains, he moved to Denver to pursue a career
in photography. He has shot for numerous businesses, in
Colorado and around the nation.
David lives on a quiet street in Denver
with his wife Elizabeth (an author and editor), their dog
Sebastian (a Rottweiller), and their cat Simon (a British
Shorthair). When not taking pictures, he can be found on his
road bike, on his single speed mountain bike, or, if it's
winter, on a pair of telemark skis. More of David's photography
can be viewed at http://homepage.mac.com/dbuddphoto.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Commercial Photography;
The Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa
Barbara, California
Associate of Applied Science, Marketing;
Colorado Mountain College, Steamboat
Springs, Colorado
Author, Editorial Assistant
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Education
Bachelor of Arts and partial Masters in
Psychology;
Minor studies in English Literature with an
emphasis
on Children's Literature and
writing—
Mansfield University, Mansfield,
Pennsylvania
©2005 The Creative Spark. All rights
reserved.
