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PAT BRADLEY

Spring Shoe's owner Pat Bradley was practically born with a pencil in his hand. His fascination with drawing was evident as early as two years of age when he would sneak a crayon into his crib and spend late nights drawing on his bedroom wall.

 

His passion eventually landed him at the Maryland Institute of Art but it was his talent for animation and storytelling that laid the foundation for his career in Chicago. 

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As the media producer at the Field Museum of Chicago, Pat produced a series of original 2D animations for the Evolving Planet exhibition. His task was to take inherently complicated topics such as fossilization and natural selection and create short videos that were both entertaining and scientifically accurate.  The animations were highly successful. They won a national museum industry award for their creativity, humor and ability to make complex material understandable.  

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Pat soon lent his talents to national advertising campaigns including those for Trix cereal and Lucky Charms while working for Calabash Animation in Chicago.   Those that work with him appreciate his sense of humor, teamwork and dedication to the craft. 

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Contact him today to talk about any of your upcoming creative projects.

CLIENTS

  • The Field Museum of Natural History

  • The Art Institute of Chicago

  • The Miami Science Museum

  • Lake County Discovery Museum

  • San Diego Museum of Natural History

  • Calabash Animation

  • General Mills, Inc.

  • Chicago Botanic Gardens

  • Morton Arboretum

  • The University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Filament Productions

  • Argentine Productions

  • The Dunn Museum

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TESTIMONIALS

  • Polygon Web Creations

  • Arvold Productions

  • Cerise Films

  • Angle Park, Inc.

  • Ecomyths Alliance

  • Bedford/St. Martin’s

  • W.K. Kellogg Foundation

  • Green River Films

  • Storycatcher Productions

  • 3lb Games

  • The Center for a New American Dream

  • Syracuse New Times

  • Great Books Foundation

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"Patrick is not only a gifted illustrator, he is a gifted artist and remarkably instinctive and creative interpreter of complex ideas and stories.  For many years, he has been a perfect partner to take a concept or sentiment and translate it into a compelling visual image."

Sophia Shaw
President
Chicago Botanic Garden

 

"Transforming the often slippery complexities of science or history into displays that are engaging for visitors is truly an art form. And having worked with many artists from around the world on such tasks, I can confidently say that Pat is among the best. He possesses that rare gift of providing an entertaining narrative while never losing sight of the display's message and goals, or the importance of content accuracy. Within any gallery, Pat's work is a guaranteed highlight."

 

Richard Kissel, PhD
Paleontologist & Director of Public Programs
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

 

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"I use Pat Bradley as an example of how an outside studio can work extremely well with a client, while still keeping its integrity and vision--and producing excellent work.  Pat never dismisses any idea out of hand, and never says that it "can't be done."  When he does have a suggestion for doing something differently, that suggestion comes out of a clear understanding of why the first execution was not working.  I'd recommend him without hesitation to any client looking for a top-notch animator who is also a consummate professional."

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Matt Matcuk, Ph.D.
Exhibition Development Director
The Field Museum

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“Pat Bradley was contracted by the Lake County Discovery Museum to create an animation to support our Prehistoric Lake County exhibition.  After a brainstorming conference call, Pat created thumbnails drawings and character development that fit our goals perfectly.  Pat's style and knowledge of this media allowed us to use his creation for exhibition labels, promotional materials and an overall branding for our successful exhibition.  His overall knowledge of animation and audio presentation was invaluable.”

Steve Furnett
Exhibits Manager
Lake County Discovery Museum

 

 

“Pat is a highly intelligent person and knows the software inside and out. There were many times that his creative problem solving skills afforded us a time saving and design positive solution. He posses an excellent eye for design, light and motion. I have never seen Pat flinch in the face of a deadline; he stays calm and communicative even in the most tumultuous times.  I cannot recommend Pat highly enough.”

Diane Grider
Production Manager
Calabash Animation

 

 

Not only do I find Pat’s illustrations and animations eye-catching and viewer-friendly, I really appreciate his working style.  He is thoughtful about the subject matter and asks good questions. I feel he quickly grasps the goals of a product, and this understanding means that even his early rough sketches/storyboards are very much on target.  He makes the process smooth and enjoyable.

Francie Muraski-Stotz

Free-lance writer and exhibit developer

 

 

“I can say that working with Pat was a pleasure. He worked hard to make sure that we were happy with the final product. His illustrations captured the nuances of the material and had a nice balance of precision and playfulness.  I'm looking forward to working with him again.”

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Wendy Griffiths
Free-lance graphic designer

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