Projects
Projects
Projects
Projects
Nikki Dunsire
CG Artist | Educator
Swiss Army Knife
About Me
Artistic Hobbies
From an early age, I enjoyed expressing my creativity through drawing, working with clay, and taking photographs. More recently, I have ventured into woodworking (I'm in love with Tongue Oil, cedar, teak and/or reclaimed wood), fearfully or fearlessly (depending on the day) wielding tools that once intimidated me. It wasn't until college that I began exploring computer-generated art. This delay wasn't because of a lack of interest, but rather limited resources and access. Growing up, the average U.S. household didn't yet have a computer (totally dating myself here), so they seemed like otherworldly sci-fi devices to me. My parents eventually bought our first computer when I was nine or ten, and it sat idle until I discovered games like The Oregon Trail and later Dark Stone. That's when my interest in storytelling through gameplay began to take shape.
Whether it's creating art for film, advertising, or games, my passion lies in bringing ideas to life. While my initial aspiration was to work for film studios like Pixar, ILM, or Wētā FX, my career path took an unexpected turn. Teaching wasn't something that I had planned to do, but when a request came my way to teach an Advanced CG Lighting & Texturing course at The Art Institute of Portland, I decided to give it a shot. Those initial years at the front of the classroom were nerve-wracking, with my hands shaking before every class. As time passed, those anxieties faded, and I discovered a profound love for not only creating art but also sharing knowledge with others and watching them uncover that same love for the process and medium. Guiding students through the challenges of software and helping them focus on concepts and storytelling, while inspiring them with the tools at their fingertips, can be both demanding and rewarding. Witnessing that "lightbulb" moment when everything "clicks", brings me joy and a sense of fulfillment, knowing that I played a small part in their journey toward success.
Outside the classroom, when I'm not taking on freelance projects or pursuing personal creative endeavors, I cherish moments with my wife and our son, Breylon Jaxson. You might also find me with a guitar in my hands or sitting at the piano, playing my latest musical obsession (which changes frequently). I enjoy spending time with our four cats and our Olde English Bulldog, Potato, and throwing the football around. Given the chance, you might find me in my self-made media room, surrounded by VR headsets, glowing lights and game consoles (from every decade), particularly my beloved PS5. I love FPS games and any title that boasts a captivating story. I'm utterly obsessed with The Last of Us (I and II)! I believe strongly in environmental conservation, animal rights and social justice and will often seek out projects that not only tell stories but are also impactful.
I am an artist, a creative problem solver, an educator, a mentor, and a Swiss army knife. I like to create things and figure out new ways of doing so. That gets me out of the bed in the morning. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working in diverse roles that demanded expertise in various aspects of the production pipeline for CG films, games, immersive media (AR/VR/MR), motion graphics, and VFX. Whether as a creating artist or a teacher, I have dedicated myself to these disciplines with passion.
My journey into this field started with the movies that captivated me as a kid. Films like Terminator 2, where I watched liquid metal flowing through the window of a helicopter with my jaw dropped, igniting my curiosity for the "how". I became fascinated with the integration of cartoons and live-action footage after experiencing Who Framed Roger Rabbit. And the awe-inspiring Jurassic Park made me dream of scaling trees alongside Brontosauruses. Games also played a significant role in inspiring me, as I wondered how something as simple as a scrolling platformer like Mario Bros. on the NES could draw laughter and engage the adults in the room in such a playful way.
Professional Testimonials
Salvatore Reda – Sr. UI/UX Designer - SketchUp
I have had the wonderful opportunity and good fortune to work with Nikki at The Art Institute of Portland. She brought her professional experience into the classroom and her love for teaching was obvious from the start. The quality of education that she provided was excellent and her students benefited from her wealth of knowledge. Nikki was a pleasure to work with and was a great collaborator while working within the administration of the college.
J Bills – Adjunct Professor at Portland State University | Compositor - Wētā Digital | Compositor - Industrial Light & Magic
I had long been aware of Nikki Dunsire's reputation as an educator who could teach anything within the field of Creative Technology. It's one thing to say, and a completely different thing to actually witness it when the "rubber meets the road," and the theoretical becomes reality. As the anchor front line instructor at the Art Institute of Portland, Nikki taught nearly every single facet of Visual Effects and Motion Design, eventually assuming the head of department responsibilities that included upper-level administration and curriculum management. Being on the hiring end of the spectrum, her name would come up in conversations and interviews, and I came to find she had a good rapport with students and was well respected. It was clear she cared deeply about making sure they were ready for the transition to the professional world. As the story goes, this was all prior to Nikki and I eventually having the rare opportunity to co-teach a class together, where I was able to get to know her style - from planning through to execution - firsthand. We were venturing into the unknown with some bleeding edge augmented reality technology that was being taught for the first time, to an extremely wide range of students - the class had advanced robotics students from Clackamas High School, programmers and technologists from Nike, W+K, Intel, Precision Castparts... a who's who of Portland based technology professionals. It was as diverse as it was high profile; we were one of 5 pitches to receive the grant (the others being Dartmouth, Carnegie-Mellon, UC Berkeley and Virginia Tech). Nikki brought a calm, calculated, "business as usual" approach to the challenge - relying on her deep experience and skills both on the technical and artistic side. A CG Artist in a previous life, who has her Master’s on the programming side - this is a rare and beautiful combination. Macro level tasks (pitch for the grant, curriculum design, promotion) as well as micro level class planning and collaboration, nuts and bolts instruction - all went without a hitch. Needless to say, I am happy to recommend Nikki for any such future challenge that the world of computer graphics education can come up with!
Rob Bekuhrs – Animation Director - SuperGenius Studio
I've worked with Nikki professionally, in education and in studio art production. She shows a unique dynamic balance, recognizes the value in honestly addressing all the needs and personalities of any artful/ technical project. Nikki does this while applying her own strong ideas and skills to her situations - she's not just a good mediator, definitely a valuable force within. Even in dire situations she's realized and promoted the potential 'good' and helped to create outcomes beyond apparent expectations. It reads like a life plan for her, not just a 'work face' being put on, and I look forward to working with her again, anytime.
Anthony Pires – Department Chair for Media - The Art Institute of Portland
I have known Nikki in a professional capacity since 2014, and she is undoubtedly one of the most influential and impactful colleagues with whom I have had the pleasure of working. Her innate drive, leadership capabilities, and high-integrity principles qualify her as an invaluable asset to any organization.
I first met Nikki when I was hired on at the Art Institute of Portland as Dean of Academic Affairs. Once I met Nikki, I immediately realized her potential and knew she would be an amazing asset to the Academic Affairs department. It wasn’t shortly afterwards that I had the opportunity to bring her onboard as Department Director of Media Arts. Seeing her in this capacity, I was immediately struck by her professional maturity, poise, and dedication to detail. I was also impressed by the ease and effectiveness with which she communicated and engaged students. Students, staff and faculty immediately embraced and responded to Nikki’s affable nature, motivating presence and action-oriented mindset. It came as no surprise when Nikki seamlessly transitioned into an Academic Director role, providing oversight of the school’s Media Arts program. Her influence was apparent as she wasted no time in integrating new technology into the curriculum, streamlining administrative processes, effectively managing a budget and instituting cross-departmental collaboration efforts.
In addition to her organizational leadership abilities and technological skill set, one of Nikki’s most notable and distinguishing qualities is her character. She continually seeks personal and professional edification opportunities and is fiercely committed to achieving short and long-term goals. Nikki is systematic and methodical in her approach to identifying opportunities and actualizing ideas and plans. In terms of her communication with colleagues and employees, she provides a refreshingly holistic, inclusive and structured management style. She is open-minded, adaptable and transparent, which allows Nikki to easily build rapport with diverse populations.
Blakesley Clapp – Program Director of Integrated Media Video - Mt. Hood Community College
I had the very good fortune of working with Nikki as a colleague when I was an instructor at the Art Institute of Portland in their Digital Video Program. During my time at AI I was able to witness Nikki’s dedication and innovation not just to her discipline, but to her students. Time and time again, I saw Nikki create curriculum that embraced the latest technologies available in her field. Excitingly, she didn’t stop at just creating the coursework. She developed relationships with companies producing cutting edge content so her students could obtain a hands-on understanding of how their classes would have real-world application.
One of the things I most admire about Nikki is her ability to individualize what she is teaching to each student. She always manages to tap into a way for each student to use their own experiences to connect with the material they are exploring. Her dedication to her students - whether it be through grant writing, independent studies, or just that extra
time after class - is unparalleled.
Kalina Torino – Sr. Motion Designer - Fiction Tribe
I had the privilege of working with Nikki Dunsire directly for 3 years at Animation Dynamics, Inc. and have come to know her well over the 15 years since we first met. Nikki and I worked closely with one another on a day-to-day basis at Animation Dynamics Inc. starting in 2007 through 2010. As the Art director at ADi, my work was directly dependent upon hers, and often times vice versa, so it was crucial that we worked solidly as a team. Clear communication, reliability, and organization were essential to a successful deliverable, and throughout the years, Nikki consistently surpassed the requirements. I could not have asked for a better teammate and leader.
Nikki’s background as the Project Manager at ADi, prior to her role as the 3D Technical Director, gave her a well-rounded vantage point of all aspects of animation, video and game production. She was responsible for managing both client and team expectations which required impeccable communication skills and a thorough understanding of the production pipeline from the inside out. This position required someone with great people skills and someone who is well educated in the field. Nikki was perfectly suited for the position. As a producer and project coordinator, she applied her skills to manage and guide an entire team to deliver outstanding projects on time and on budget. As a 3D Technical Director, she had to be adept at problem solving and managing highly technical and complex projects and file structures in order to seamlessly pass off workloads to her teammates. She made remarkable improvements to ADi’s workflow within the 3 years I worked directly with her; taking the lead for reshaping the organization of our internal file structure resulting in increased productivity. Her thoroughness, precision, and unwavering willingness to take on a challenge makes her an integral part of any team and an incredible leader. Out of the entire group at ADi, I can easily say that Nikki was one of the most studious, dedicated and responsible members of the company. When spare time was allotted to Nikki, she spent it learning how to better her skill set and in turn, help educate her colleagues on her newfound methods. Her dedication to her work, and her team, was unquestionable. Her awareness of how her work affected the team revealed the selfless and considerate nature of her. When faced with a problem, even if it wasn’t her own, Nikki would go out of her way to learn more about it and seek out a long-term solution that would better the team as a whole. Every action was deliberate and well thought out, with full awareness of the consequences they would bring. She understood the importance of holding herself and her teammates accountable in order for a team to effectively grow together. She is a person of strong moral fiber and character.
Nikki is a role model within and outside of the workplace. Besides being an absolute joy to work with, Nikki’s professionalism and warmth is truly admirable; characteristics that I aspire to obtain. I have never encountered a more thorough, thoughtful, well-spoken, knowledgeable, caring and encouraging person in the 15 years I’ve worked in the animation, game and video industry. I feel fortunate to know her. My wholehearted trust in Nikki extends beyond the workplace to my personal life; she is one of the most dependable people I know and a friend I can always count on. She would never hesitate to help someone with a problem, even under extreme pressure. She is just that kind of person. Level-headed, patient, calm, good-humored, and has an unwavering passion for the gaming, film and animation industries. She has an inherent ability to communicate well with people of all personality types and carries a great attitude. She is an incredible instructor and is experienced and well educated in the industry. She has dedicated the past decade and a half to educating students in the game, animation & video departments at The Art Institute of Portland and beyond; more proof of how well versed and qualified she is. She is a trustworthy, hard-working and ambitious individual.
Kate Ertmann – President/Executive Producer - ADi & Industry Speaker
I had the distinct pleasure of working with Nikki for 4 years and, therefore, saw her in a couple of different roles here at ADi. She handled everything thrown at her with great aplomb, and it's interesting -- with both the Coordinator role and the 3D TD role- her attention to detail and leadership and confidence in her duties was carried throughout. As 3D TD she also had the opportunity to bring her creative perspective to projects and it gave our company a new voice. I'd love to work with her again if given the opportunity. Oh, AND she's fun!
Nancy Hoffman – Account Supervisor at CMD
Nikki is one of the hardest working people I know. She is a problem solver and a lifelong learner. She wrote very educational blog posts as technical director, and is a natural teacher and sharer of knowledge. I'd work with Nikki again in a hot minute.