Digital Chalk Talks

Communicating Truth with BITS

BITS, Binary Digits, ones and zeroes, have totally transformed the way we live. They have changed the way we do business, listen to music, watch videos, navigate the roads, and even the way we tell stories and share truth.

This summer at Camp Infinity, one of our guest speakers is my good friend, Jon Taylor. Jon is an excellent artist who has dedicated his talents to serving the Lord at Answers in Genesis. He has been working with a team of experts on the exhibit designs for the new Ark Encounter, which is having its groundbreaking May 1, 2014!

Jon has a very engaging way to tell a story and share Gospel truth with young people. It is similar in concept to chalk talk drawings, where the artist tells his or her story while drawing the details with various colors of chalk right in front of the audience. But Jon doesn’t use chalk. Instead, he uses his computer, a digital drawing pad and a projector, allowing the audience members to see how this artists creates messages using computer graphics software. It’s pretty amazing to watch!

While working in the steel industry, a near fatal fall off a 45-ft steel beam left Jon virtually immobilized for many months. During this traumatic time, a childhood fascination with art was rekindled. While excruciating rehabilitation took its physical toll, creating artwork became a daily welcomed escape from reality. On one occasion a family member said, “Your work’s amazing, you should become a professional artist,” but Jon had never given much thought to a career in art. However, the seed was planted; and at age 26, he began to entertain the notion of taking a few art courses.

In 1996, Jon began his formal art training at Pensacola Christian College, where he studied under master illustrator Brian Jekel, whose passion, philosophy, and dedication to excellence in the field of illustration and fine art inspired Jon to pursue a career as an illustrator. While at PCC, Jon worked for five years as an illustrator for A Beka Book, and completed both a B.A. and M.A. in Commercial Art.

In 2001, Jon took a position as an illustrator with IAM Studios Inc. and gained valuable experience working with companies like Fisher-Price, Mattel, Hasbro, Milton Bradley, Proctor and Gamble, Leap Frog, Zaner Blozer, and many more.

In 2003, a rather remarkable turn of events led Jon to Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum project. The 27 million dollar Creation Museum was in the early stages of design and development when he came on board as exhibit designer/illustrator.

In 2006, Jon became the Art Director and Sr. Illustrator for the Creation Museum. On Memorial Day 2007, the Creation Museum opened its doors to the public, and has since then become a premier attraction for Christian families around the world.

In 2007, Jon returned to Pensacola Christian College to teach undergraduate and graduate art, with a specific emphasis on training students in digital illustration and creative communication.

Jon has published many books with Master Books, Answers Magazine, and New Leaf Press. Currently he works as the Lead Production Designer for the Ark Encounter.

We are excited to have Jon part of our inaugural program this summer at Camp Infinity. If you know a young person with a heart for God and passion for science, technology, engineering or math taught from a biblical creation worldview, Camp Infinity might be the place for them.

Camp Infinity

Where Science & Technology Meet Truth