Jason "Hawke" Hamilton was born in St. Paris, Ohio in 1974 to Sam and Shauna Hamilton. He began to draw as soon as he was able to pick up a pencil. As a student, he pursued art throughout high school and then at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He earned an Associates Degree in Visual Communications and Illustration in 1995.
After college, Hawke began a career as a professional airbrush illustrator, working for many design shops in Pittsburgh and, later, on the east coast. Along the way, Hawke began to freelance as a mural artist and interior design consultant. Restaurant and nightclub design became a regular source of income and a new creative outlet. It also incorporated more of the skills he had acquired as a youth. Sam, Hawke's father, is a master carpenter, wood sculptor and restorer of Victorian homes, and Hawke grew up helping him and learning general construction techniques, finish carpentry, and architectural design.
In 2004, Hawke moved to Los Angeles, California. Shortly afterwards, he was introduced to Sid Nicholson, a special effects artist and production designer in the film industry. Recognizing Hawkes talent and skills, Sid brought him aboard as assistant art director on the film Insult to Injury, directed by Burke Roberts.
Since, he has continued as an art director and production designer, quickly building a reputable career and developing more skills along the way.
2006 has been the year of the Engine. In early spring, Burke once again enlisted the help of Hawke and Sid in the creation of a unique mobile film screening unit. The focal point of the project would be a sculpture designed to hold the screen itself. Size, mobility, ease of set-up, and near-impossible goals made this the most ambitious design challenge of Hawkes career.
After two months of conceptual work, a start design was reached. Afterwards, Sid and Chris Draheim were brought in for the architectural feasibility stage. With many apposing design problems and aesthetic challenges, final designs were approved, and the fabrication began in May.
