Life & Work with Hailey Dukart

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

Hi Hailey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been drawing since I could practically walk and have gifted my friends and family my art throughout the years. When the pandemic initially hit I lost my job fairly early on and needed to make ends meet. I did a small drop of my cactus magnets on Facebook and they sold out within minutes.

I finally took the leap of faith and did my first pop-up market in June 2021 and the rest has been history. The response was overwhelming in all the best ways and has given me the opportunity to leave my 9-5 and become a full-time artist as of October 2022.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Besides the few rude customers, the journey to becoming a full-time artist has been relatively smooth, I’ve been blessed with many opportunities to connect with my community, and the biggest struggle was overcoming my own insecurities. I have always been very shy and reserved so sharing my art with a very large audience brought forward a lot of conflicting emotions that almost made me quit many times.

Especially as a black artist within Tucson, there are not many businesses, to begin with. I would sometimes get in my own head that I didn’t have a seat at the table. I’m very thankful for my support system and other artists breathing life into me constantly. And I hope I can be a positive representation for other black artists to go after their dreams and passions.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I call myself a Sonoran-inspired doodler and I am known for my whimsical and happy desert art.

I work with alcohol-based markers and pens and work on any medium I can get my hands on, but I’m most proud of my canvas pieces which are all hand-drawn originals. While I sell mostly prints, bookmarks, and other small goods I work with larger pieces and have done murals around the Tucson area.

What makes you happy?
Art is my passion and I’m incredibly blessed that I get to call it my job, when I’m creating I can feel my inner child and younger self-ignited. Getting to share it with my community and seeing the smile spread across their faces as they take it all in brings me so much joy.

Aside from art, my other happy place is in nature, you can find me on hikes around Tucson soaking up the sun and admiring the magic of the Sonoran desert.

Pricing:

• Prints $20-25
• Bookmarks/Card $5- $15
• Originals $50-$200

Contact Info:

• Website: lildesertdoodles.com
• Instagram: @lildesertdoodles
• Facebook: lildesertdoodles

Image Credits
Lea Ortiz – Elle O Studio and Gina Danza