Dirk’s interest in drawing Disney characters came at an early age. He was eight years old when Disneyland opened in 1955. Dirk became inspired by the art and sent Walt Disney Studios what he thought were fabulous drawings of their characters.
In the early 80’s, Dirk began to design advertising layouts and catalogs for Disney’s non-theatrical film rental division. That opportunity would lead to work on the launch of The Disney Channel. There Dirk created an image of Mickey from ‘Fantasia’ that showed Mickey pointing up to the channel’s logo. This artwork would soon be used on posters, ads and brochures.
After freelancing for some time, Dirk met Thomas Kinkade who saw real talent and took him under his wing. Through several years of working under Thom’s direction, perfecting his techniques and styles, Dirk became a Thomas Kinkade Studios Legacy Artist.
One of Dirk’s most memorable moments with Thom was accompanying him and his wife at Disney World for its Thirty-Fifth Anniversary to unveil” A New Day at the Cinderella Castle”. As the three made their way down Main Street in a vintage car, they were greeted by hundreds of Disney collectors.