Octavio Perez

Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Alumni '97

Octavio Perez

Illustration Alumni '97

I've been an artist, fisherman, and outdoor enthusiast as long as I can remember. As a young man, growing up in the Tampa Bay area, I was always either painting in my room or out fishing with my dad. In the 90s, I earned my BFA in illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL. After college, my professional career started as a greeting card artist and designer for Hallmark Cards Inc. in Kansas City Missouri.

Warm weather, endless fishing opportunities and a staff illustrator position with the St. Petersburg Times eventually lured me back home to West Central Florida. In 2001 I became a full-time faculty member in the illustration department at Ringling College.

When I’m not teaching at Ringling, I can most often be found creating in my studio, boating and fishing on Sarasota Bay or hiking the trails at Myakka River State Park. I live with my wife, Suzanne and daughter, Maya in Bradenton, FL.