I am a native Midwesterner, born and raised in the Dairy State. My career path has not been typical (or linear), but it’s given me tons of interesting stories and experiences.

You’ll see from my body of work that I like to experiment in various media and styles. From logo design to book and magazine layouts to map illustrations, I really enjoy the thrill of exploration!

Here’s a quick glimpse of what I’ve been up to for the past 30 years or so:

1982-1986: Student at New Berlin West High School, New Berlin, Wisconsin
1986-1990: Student at Ripon College, Ripon, Wisconsin
1990-1998: Bird Keeper at Chicago Zoological Society, Chicago, Illinois
1998-2000: Veterinary Tech at Middleton Veterinary Hospital, Middleton, Wisconsin
2000-2002: Veterinary Keeper at Indianapolis Zoological Society, Indianapolis, Indiana
2002-2004: Bird and Mammal Keeper at Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2004-2006: Graphic & Web Designer at Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Brookfield, Wisconsin
2006-2018: Art Director at Reiman Publications/Reader’s Digest/Trusted Media Brands, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
2019 to present: Map Illustrator & Designer at MapsbyScott.com

I will be happy to share more details if you’re interested!

You may be thinking, “How in the world does a former zookeeper and veterinary technician come to work as an art director for one of the largest and most esteemed publishing companies in the world and is now a self-taught illustrator and cartographer?” My answer is…brick by brick. I laid the foundation of my new career through hard work, self-motivation, fierce determination, fiery passion and a good dose of natural talent. I studied biology in college because I love animals and always wanted to be a veterinarian. Instead I became a zookeeper, caring for exotic animals in one of the nation’s most prestigious zoos. Some 14 years, 3 zoos and countless animals later, I changed careers entirely to pursue my dream of being a professional artist. After learning some skills and building my portfolio, I became an art director for Country magazine (a Reader’s Digest publication, formerly Reiman Publications). Along the way I also launched a series of freelance ventures: 1) Schiller Studios which evolved into Hive Creative; 2)  The Pet Sketcher, a custom pet portrait business; and 3) Maps! by Scott, where I create custom map illustrations for print and web.

When I’m not at my computer or drawing desk, you’ll no doubt find me outdoors: hiking, biking, camping, canoeing, birding or urban sketching.

I appreciate your interest in me and my work. I invite you to check out the various projects in my portfolio to see what I’ve been up to lately. If you’re interested in working together on a project, please send me a message via my Contact Me page or directly to schillerscott(at)gmail(dot)com. I’m always interested in meeting new people…maybe one day it will be you!