Bob Paltrow

Award-winning Graphic Design and Illustration. Creative campaigns for video, print and social media. Specializing in creative campaigns, corporate identity and branding—with a niche focus in natural and organic services and products; music and entertainment; restaurant; apparel; and publication design, including books and magazines. WordPress website development and expertise. Distinctive Web Design. Adobe Creative Suite expert at your service.

I opened shop as Bob Paltrow Design in Bellingham, WA, in 1994, and serve clientele regionally, nationally, and internationally.

I have considerable academic and professional experience in a variety of media and art forms, including audio production, recording and mixing; videography and video editing; painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture.

I graduated cum laude from the University of Arizona, Tucson with a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences degree —Studio Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design and illustration. I minored in 20th Century Art History. The U of A’s design program was rigorous in developing hands-on processes, with an even greater emphasis on concept-driven design.

I studied sculpture (figure modeling) one semester with master sculptor Luis Jimenez, who greatly influenced me as an artist.

During my senior year in college, my poster entry won a design competition to promote a year-long lecture series featuring social activist artists, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

After graduating from college, I did a variety of freelance work including children’s pop-up book production; pen and ink illustrations for public school math and science books; illustrations for field guides for Southwest Parks and Monuments Association; working as a typesetter for a weekly re-sale magazine; and was the principal in-house artist for a local coffeehouse chain in Tucson, AZ, creating menus, ads, T-shirt designs, table tents, posters – the whole gamut.

In 1992, I got a great job as the in-house designer for award-winning music label Soundings of the Planet in Tucson. It was at Soundings that I gained experience and insight into working with musicians — as well as the independent record label side of marketing and distribution. I was employed by Soundings for five years, designing dozens of cd covers and packaging, catalogs, posters, calendars, point-of-purchase displays, new release flyers, specialty promotions, bumper stickers and buttons – a lot of great, fun stuff. I had a fabulous assistant who is a great artist in his own right, Mykl Wells, and we were part of an 8 person marketing team. In 1994, that job would take me to Bellingham, WA where Soundings husband-and-wife founders Dean and Dudley Evenson had re-located their recording studio in 1989. I would begin my own business a couple of years later, but I continue to do most of their album and design work, including social media, some video production, as well as designing and maintaining their website. It has been a long and wonderful professional as well as a personal relationship.

Highlights and Recognition

  • AWARD (2019) Best Book Illustration SILVER as voted The Coalition of Visionary Resources for “Quieting the Monkey Mind: How to Meditate with Music” by Dudley Evenson & Dean Evenson, MS. Client: Soundings of the Planet
  • AWARD (2019) Best Cover Design BRONZE as voted The Coalition of Visionary Resources for “Quieting the Monkey Mind: How to Meditate with Music” by Dudley Evenson & Dean Evenson, MS. Client: Soundings of the Planet
  • AWARD (2011) 1st RUNNER-UP Web Design as voted by The Coalition of Visionary Retailers for soundings.com
  • AWARD (2011) GOLD/1st PLACE – Washington Festival and Events Association. PNW Summit Awards – Commemorative Poster Design “Anacortes Arts Festival 50th Anniversary Poster” Client: Anacortes Arts Festival
  • AWARD (2011) GOLD/1st PLACE – Washington Festival and Events Association. PNW Summit Awards – Promotional Poster Design “2011 Movies at Magnuson Park.” Client: Epic Events
  • AWARD (1990) WINNER of National Endowment of the Arts Poster Competition at the University of Arizona
  • AWARD (1998) “Silver Microphone” National Finalist for writing original ad score for Whatcom Transportation Authority – “Bus Stop” – a rap song promoting public transportation to young people during the summer
  • Have illustrated and/or designed over 200 music albums
  • Illustrated the children’s book “Children of the Earth” (1996)
  • Wrote and produced the musical score for the short film “SNAP!” directed by Zachary Brown (2017)
  • 2023 – In the middle—the vast, endless middle—of writing my first book, a science fiction novel, “The Last Forest; Future’s Last Hope.” https://bobpaltrow.com/about/
  • 2023 – Illustrated/published a children’s book with author/songwriter Tracy Spring, based on her song “Love Doesn’t Care Who You Love.”

Giving Back

In addition to my graphic art training, I have a great deal of experience working with groups of people, specifically to produce fundraisers and plan events for a variety of causes including domestic violence awareness, women’s issues, and race issues. I hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Day open mic at the Community Food Coop in Bellingham for 9 years. I strive to support local environmental issues and preserve animal habitats. I have also emceed events on stage, so I have experience thinking on my feet while multitasking. I believe that my abilities and skills as an artist, designer, and illustrator are greatly enhanced through multicultural and community immersion: you have to look inside and outside for inspiration.

Music

Music is also a big part of my life. I studied classical & jazz piano and music composition formally from the time I was 10 through my first year of college, majoring in music, before switching up and dedicating myself academically and professionally to design.

In 2009, I worked with singer/songwriter and choreographer Sabrina Gomez, writing a couple of songs and helping to produce the musical score for an original work she produced through the Blaine (WA) Performing Arts Center, titled “Esperanza.” One of my aspirations is to do more scoring, audio design and music production in the future.

I still compose and perform in the Bellingham area both as a solo performer (acoustic piano) and in various ensembles. I currently perform as the alternative folk group Blue Magnolia, featuring Cathy Taylor vocals/guitar and me (vocals/keyboards, performing original music and select covers from the 80s to the 2020s. I also perform with the stellar women’s group Wild Hearts, in the Bellingham area. I have a small home studio and am proficient and creative with Apple’s Logic Studio Pro recording/mixing software.

I’ve produced and co-produced several albums of original music including

Bob Paltrow | Designer Producer Creative Musician Pianist
Bob Paltrow | Designer Producer Creative Musician Bellingham WA
Bob Paltrow presenting at the 2026 Chanticleer Author Conference.