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A graphic design firm that was started in 1997 which has had designs shown in local distributions of Maryland to the regional areas of NYC and California. Avalon Creative Arts is a fledgling company that is quickly on the rise.
CEO and founder James Phelps-Haskins, after graduating from CCBC with an AA in Graphic design decided that, while most graphic design companies charged an arm an a leg, they lacked the personal touch and easy accesibility to the clients.<br>

The Beginning, 1997.

While being in school aka college, James had to pretty much give his work away, because "who wants to pay a 18yr old, 20 bucks an hour to tell them why their ash-can magazine was wrong or Why they need a designer when they have a boot-leg copy of Photoshop at home"¹. Working his way through the Goth, Grundge and Hip hop cliques at the college, which gained him acces to new art styles and influences that he would have never been exposed to on his own. The mosaic of colors in his mental paint can cause a "style of design that was fresh, quick, but not so unique that it would be hard to understand"². The natural ADD of his free clients helped him to finely hone his design speed as most college parties and events are created usually within a day or two of the actual date.

The Second beginning, 1999.

With a degree in Graphic design and a Minor in Animation from University of Maryland Baltimore County, the first few months were a hard sell as most people didn't want to try a "newbie " on for size when it comes to their hard earned money and precious company logo/identity. But as they say where there is will, there is a way, and then came St.Agnes Church. Looking for someone to design their webpage and to up date their look. His quick turn around and knowledge of HTML helped to secure him the job of Webmaster as well as spread the word of mouth to the church of a person who cares about his craft.<br>
From this started his client list of various Mom and Pop stores who wanted to get on the internet or wanted an up to date design on look for their ads. With money in the pocket and artwork in his portfolio it is was now time, to spread out from being freelance to getting a "job" in the actual business world.

What the real world is all about.

After securing a job at Time-Out, small T-Shirt company that served as the middleman between other shirt companies. The low wages weren't even enough to afford him a car , less alone the newest "legit" versions of Adobe CS. So he found himself spending 25 hrs out of a 24 hr day , working the 9 to 5 and then still freelancing. Trying to always have constant influx of work. A fateful meeting with a Dancer named Genevive, brought about the new wave of well paying customers he needed which would allow him time to breathe .

Sources and notes

1. James Haskins; City Paper, Young Blacks on the Rise<br>
2. Alan Price, UMBC Animation Director