When Fred was a young boy, elementary school age, his mother would send him off to school with lunch money and he would return home with art supplies. He came from a very large family, 8 children. Paper was in short supply so he would use grocery bags as his canvas.

In high school, Fred met the teacher that changed his life as an artist. This teacher, Larry "Mac" Macaray, recognized Fred's creative talent and his obvious skill. He challenged Fred to make art outside the boundaries of skill. He encouraged him to go places with his imagination and without the restriction of creating what he thought he should create, something he believed would be acceptable. Through this teacher's guidance Fred was given the gift of freedom to create outside the standards of "acceptable" art and within the limitless boundaries of his own imagination. This single experience began the foundation of all his future creation process.

For years afterward, Fred would experiment with a variety of styles and techniques, all of them self-discovered. Fred did not pursue art education, but rather education through his art. During what would be college years, and young adult years, he took a couple of art classes, but found his direction as an artist coming from within himself, rather than through instruction, so he left the school system and began to make a way of his own.

Fred experiences art through the process of creating. He does not begin with ideas, he allows them to present themselves as he works. He rests in his work rather than laboring to bring something to fruition. As a result, he is extremely prolific.

A HISTORY OF HIS PRODUCT DESIGNS
(Babb Studios)

In 1981, Fred made a decision to live solely on his art. His wife, and his two children, moved with him to California where he began creating work to be shown in galleries. The work was well received, yet not widely received. Fred was selected to show one of his ceramic sculptures in a group competition at the Crocker Art Museum, in Sacramento.

Before the opening of the show, while making a sculpture of 5 small heads, which he called "The 5 Fizzicists", two of the heads broke off in the kiln. He made one of them into a necklace for his wife, Julia. She wore it to the art opening along with a pair of earrings of like style. Many people recognized it as Fred's work, inquiring where to get some.

A friend recommended he design more which she offered to sell to local art galleries and upper end stores. Fred agreed, creating several one of a kind pieces. They sold quickly and a business, called Earheads, began.

Within a couple of years there were stores and galleries across the United States selling Fred's work. Fred's initial products were limited to images. One day he designed a pair of earrings which said "Do it" on one and "Don't Do It" on the other. That began his venture into the world of words. From that time forward Fred has used words as a means to encourage people to think for and believe in themselves. As the popularity of his jewelry line grew, stores requested other products. Clocks and T-shirts were born. They, too, were a success. Shortly, the business grew to include mugs, magnets, posters, framed prints, etc. In 1988, a wholesale outlet and retail store were opened in Cambria, California. The name of the business was changed to "What Iz Art."

This went on until 1996, when both Fred and Julia tired of the production and quit the business. Several of Fred's designs continued in the marketplace through a process of licensing to other manufacturers who produced t-shirts, tote bags, hats, cards, a calendar and poster book. In the year 2000, Julia took the business back into her own hands under the name of "Babb Studios," where it remains today.