Dennis Bolt

Dennis is one of the senior designer for Golden Shores Communications – California.

Growing up in Sonoma County, CA, Dennis has always loved art and design. His parents were artistic and his mother still enjoys ceramics and mixed-media. He attended the University of Oregon where he earned a degree in architecture, and loved art history and geography.

However, while attending  UofO, Dennis started working with computer graphics and design at the campus newspaper, which led him to pursue graphic design after college. He loved the more immediate deadlines and gratification that came with working on many different projects that a daily newspaper provided, from one day designing a Lifestyles or Sports cover in the morning, to making a News map after lunch, and then working a Business chart in the evening!

In 2007, after more than a decade of award-winning journalism at the Marin Independent Journal and Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Dennis went out on his own.

Most of his freelance client work involves marketing for clients as diverse as the Santa Rosa Symphony, Kaiser Permanente, local schools and churches, and multiple Sonoma County wineries.

He lives amongst former apple orchards in rural Sebastopol with his wife and three teen boys.

Favorite Quote –  “Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.” 
—Frank Lloyd Wright

Favorite Vacation SpotI love travel, but very rarely “vacation” since when I’m in a different place I like to “see and do,” and not sit on the beach. My father was born in England, and being a history-buff and Anglophile, I have always loved traveling in the UK and Europe.

If you had to eat the same meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? –Something savory and cheese-based!

Who Inspires You? Depends on what kind of inspiration I need. If I’m looking for professional inspiration I love to learn about Frank Lloyd Wright and other designers like Paul Rand. But personally I am also inspired by my father-in-law who is a retired pastor and all-around interesting guy. He can talk to anybody and has the most fascinating stories to relate to any life situation. Like my own father, he has a can-do attitude that inspires him to try something new, even if it means taking a risk. That is something I’m trying to cultivate in my own life.

What is Your Favorite Holiday?
Thanksgiving for the uncomplicated family feel and the history, since we recently found out that my wife is a Mayflower descendant, but Christmas for everything else. The past 10 years I have been one of the main organizers of a school fundraiser Holiday Home Tour, so have had a good excuse to buy and use many Christmas decorations! All the many visual and sensory themes that are inspired by Christmas are evocative and its hard to decide which parts of Christmas I like the most! That has led us to have a differently decorated tree in every room of our own house.

What movie can you watch repeatedly and never get sick of?
Love the 1980s movies, but am a huge fan of James Bond (part of my Anglophilia), so I’ll cop out and say that all 25 of them are my favorites (well I’m not a Roger Moore fan)

On the weekends, you can find meBeing a University of Oregon grad, Saturdays in the fall are Duck football. Sundays are church and catchup.