About

"Whether an app, a piece of wall art, or a fighting position in combat, problem solving is the same."

Jeffrey Fina

Jeff@Finaempire.com

The beginning of my career was unconventional - it started not in a design program, but in the deserts of Iraq, where I served as an Army Engineer. Amidst the dust and heat, I determined that my path would not be limited to the situation I was in. That's when I discovered my love for digital image making. Spending hours in a tiny internet cafe, I downloaded my first trial copy of Photoshop and Unreal Developer Kit, and started experimenting with what would become my passion.

The nearly 20 years since that day have seen tremendous personal and professional growth for me. Along the way, I have pursued diverse opportunities, including receiving a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Scholarship to study in Europe, apprenticing for a nationally recognized artist, operating my own fine art print and design company, working as an art director for a retail gift company, and serving as a costume artisan for a theater arts and entertainment company. Through it all, my passion for art and design has remained constant, driving me to seek out new challenges and opportunities to grow.

As an artist and designer, I have come to value several key skills that have been critical to my success. Effective communication has been paramount, not just between people but also between different tools and technologies. I believe that the ability to serve as a "Rosetta Stone" between various stakeholders and tools is essential to delivering exceptional results. Mastery of one's tools is also key, as it allows for greater proficiency and ease of workflow. And finally, an effective process, from conception to completion, is essential for achieving top-quality results.

Thanks to these skills and my unwavering commitment to excellence, I have been privileged to work with a range of notable clients, including Johnson & Johnson, Disney, World Bank, Netflix, and many others. I remain dedicated to creating work that meets or exceeds the highest standards of quality and innovation, while continuing to learn and grow as a designer and artist.

My personal portfolio is a reflection of my desire to learn and master new and old tools and processes. My personal works are a sandbox of play, allowing me to figure out new and exciting ways to use tools and figure out more efficient processes. I allow myself to be unhinged and open with what I create and how I create.

My professional portfolio is where I take skills learned through personal projects and from working for others, and use them in a commercial setting to create a final objective for various stakeholders. I reel in the "spasticity" of my personal style for a more refined outcome that is expected of my clients.

Notable Achievements:

National Endowment of the Arts Scholarship:
European arts study focused on Rembrandt.

Army Achievement Medal:
Distinction during overseas deployment.

Group Art Exhibit at the Seligmann Center; Hudson Valley NY

Army Highest Motivation Award:
Outstanding drive and personal accountability.

Notable Clients:

Disney
Johnson & Johnson
Netflix
World Bank
Verizon
Victoria Secret
'Broadway'
Nuk Baby Company

Fina Empire?

My journey into arts and design began in an economics class in high school. Our task was to create greeting cards which would be sold to other students. As part of this project, we were asked to come up with a logo and business name. Drawing inspiration from my love of the Empire State Building and the history of struggle and resilience in New York City, I named my high school enterprise 'Fina Empire.' The building, which was constructed during a time of great hardship in our nation's history, represented a ray of hope for many Americans. This same spirit of perseverance and resilience was evident in New York's response to a number of unfortunate situations in my lifetime, which inspired me deeply. As someone who has faced my own share of adversity, I have always believed in the power of personal growth and development. I never give up on myself and continue to push forward, despite difficult circumstances.

My logo, which depicts the Empire State Building with a sunburst-style art deco motif and the initials 'FE', was designed be me to symbolize this spirit of relentless perseverance. The overall look harkens on traditional chop marks used on coins and works of art to certify their authenticity. In this way, the logo represents the ideals of perseverance and authenticity, which I hold true to my personal and professional endeavors.

Hard Skills

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