Greg BeilkeSeries: Dickens' Village, Alpine Village, Universal Monsters
As a member of the Department 56 Creative team since 1988, Senior Product Designer, Greg Beilke has seen many changes in the lit Villages and accessories he works to design. Because of the variety of projects he has been involved with Greg takes the time to correctly research each design to be sure it fits into the existing Village accurately and works with the current style of the Village. “If you think of the Villages, whether it’s a building or a group of characters, a certain amount of research needs to be done for each and every project. We’re all very concerned about keeping the style of architecture, costumes and vehicles appropriate for each Village.”
“I draw a lot of inspiration from other artists. I always have. If I’m working on a set of people for the Dickens’ Village Series®, for example, the first place I turn to is an illustrated copy of “A Christmas Carol.” Those 19th century illustrations have so much character and I try to translate that in my work. Likewise, fairy tale books are really good for cottage and castle inspiration. I never copy anything directly, I always strive to capture the essence of the subject material.
Greg studied Art at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota but feels that he has learned more since he started here at Department 56. “In the years I’ve been at Department 56 I’ve never been asked to design the same thing twice, so every project is a new challenge.”
Among the many projects Greg is involved with, he really enjoys working on The Alpine Village Series® where his research and artistic skills combine to create a realistic Village. Greg originated the “Santa Comes To Town” accessory series for The Original Snow Village®, the Universal Studios Monsters™ series, and works with the entire Creative team to design historically accurate lit buildings and accessories.
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