Check out Hailey Marshall’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Marshall.

Hailey, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was immersed in the arts at a very young age. My parents were musical theater actors and included my sister and I in their productions whenever possible. Even though I was certain I would go into acting, I always found myself drawing. I remember waking up early so I could have time to draw comics before going to school or a softball game.

By the time I was in Jr. High, my parents noticed that I had really gotten into it and told me I could make a living out of art. Since then, I completely dedicated myself to pursuing a career in art. My family became incredibly supportive and even bought me professional art supplies and equipment to get started.

In high school, I became part of a computer science and animation program where I was able to create my first pieces of animation. Although they were simple assignments like ball bounces and flour sack drops, I fell in love with the art of making my drawings move.

I decided to go to Arizona State University for a BFA in Drawing and then went on to pursue my Masters in Animation at UCLA. I created two animated short films, “THE PUSHOVER,” and “DESCENT.” While getting my education, I took up internships in film and freelanced part-time as an animator and illustrator.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a 2D character animator, and my weapons of choice are the Adobe Creative Suite and TVPaint. When creating art/animation, I always think about the stories behind them.

I’ve always felt that animation was the simplest way for people to find connection. Even without words, people can understand a story through visuals alone. This is one of the biggest reasons why I work so hard at animating. Even though a few seconds of animation could take me two weeks to finish, seeing those small moments connect with people is worth it to me.

What I hope for people to take away from my films is a connection to the characters, and lessons from their stories. These films were created from a very personal place; Your art exposes your thoughts, your feelings, and how you see the world. I was completely terrified when I first shared them to the public, but I would never have grown as an artist if I wasn’t brave enough to share them.

How can artists connect with other artists?
Twitter…. Twitter…. TWITTER. I know it sounds crazy, but the social media site made it significantly easier for me to approach other artists and connect with them. I remember when @JustinLeoWeber from Walt Disney Animation first tweeted an invitation for women and people of diversity to send their demo reels for critiques, and within a week he had sent a complete breakdown of each of my shots on what I could improve on. It was incredible!!!

Because the site has made it accessible to talk to other artists, I’ve been fortunate to work on collaborative projects like #AllStarsReanimate and #FreakyFredReanimated.

Although social media has helped me, it’s important to connect with others in the real world as well. It’s natural for us artists to be comfortable in our own island, but our art can’t grow unless we socialize with others. Find a balance between the two; Attend gallery openings, go to mixers, see what events are happening!

If an artist lives in the same area as you, make time to meet with them for lunch or a coffee. The artistic community is filled with kind and generous people. Many of them are willing to connect with you and will help you improve your craft.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My film, “DESCENT,” has screened in several locations including Greece, Chicago, Los Angeles, and will be playing at the Chandler International Film Festival Sunday, January 20th: https://www.chandlerfilmfestival.com/

My first-year film, “THE PUSHOVER” will be screening at the Animated Arizona Film Festival Friday, January 25th.

You can also view my personal work online:
Portfolio Site: https://www.haileymarshall.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshmallowcomet/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrshmallowComet

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.haileymarshall.com/
• Email: haileymrshll@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshmallowcomet/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marshmallowcomet/?ref=bookmarks
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrshmallowComet
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haileymarshallanimator?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Image Credit:
Headshot by Shirley Zhou; duOS/Underclock (c) Gregory Chen and Thomas Lu

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