BIOGRAPHY Click HERE to download a PDF of Richard Dobbs' professional resume. Richard D. Dobbs, Jr. was born in Atlanta, GA in April of 1969. He grew up in Forest Park, which is also located in Georgia. At the age of 19, Richard decided to pursue a career in music as a percussionist with the United States Marine Corps Band. After enlisting in 1988, Richard married the love of his life, Carrie Johnson, who was a ballet dancer. They set off to California for Richard to play drums and tour with the band. Richard began his career in Art & Graphics in 1991 in the USMC. This was after he participated in Desert Storm located in Kuwait with the 1st Marine Division Band as a M-60 Gunner. The Band was transformed into a security platoon for the General of the 1st Marine Division during the war. Upon returning from Desert Storm, Richard decided to change jobs from percussionist to graphic artist at Camp Pendleton, CA. After showing his personal portfolio to the Camp Pendleton Art Department TAVSC, they accepted Richard as an "On-the-job trainee" without having any formal training in art. After leaving the Marines in 1992, Richard continued to pursue a career in the arts after relocating from Oceanside, CA to Clayton, NC. Richard earned an Associates degree at Johnston Community College, Smithfield, NC in Commercial art & Advertising Design. Since 2009, Richard has devoted study in 3D art and animation for videogames at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, NC, earning a Diploma in Game Design and Simulation. Professionally, Richard has worked in several areas of the graphic arts fields since 1991. His former jobs consist of screen printing as an Illustrator for four years, working at the Yellow Pages as a graphic composer for three years, working at an ad agency as an art director for four years and finally as an exhibit trade show display graphic artist/imaging specialist for seven years. Currently, Richard is a freelance artist where he produces art for several local Raleigh companies including the North Carolina Community Health Centers Association. Richard especially enjoys fine art projects such as pen & ink renderings, pastel portraits, oil paintings and acrylic murals. Since 2002, Richard has taught private art classes to children. Some of the subjects that he teaches are drawing, painting, paper mache, ceramics, kinetic sculpture, and much more. Richard and Carrie currently reside in Holly Springs, North Carolina with their three beautiful daughters, Scarlett, Savannah and Isabella.