I had a chat with Hayley to learn more about her as an artist, her inspirations and dreams and how she came to be involved with Blue Blue Sea. Her answers are inspiring and provide a wealth of insight into what it takes to illustrate a book.Me: What interested you in illustrating this story about Blue Blue Sea? Are you a fan of horse racing?
Hayley: I have followed Blue for a long time now, and I was so touched by his story. I first read about him on Blood-Horse and I could just remember going.. "Wow." I followed him on Facebook, and became very good friends with his owner, Miranda Prather. I am so humbled and so honored to be illustrating this remarkable story, and I hope I can do it justice. I've been an fan of horse racing since I was little. Growing up, we visited Turfway Park (which is right in my backyard) frequently and never stopped going. I fell in love with the horses, then, but I first fell in love with the sport when Mike Smith rode Giacomo to victory in the 2005 Kentucky Derby. God put this amazing passion for horse racing in my heart at such a young age. I was ridiculed and made fun of for it, but I have no regrets. I've gotten to meet so many wonderful people because of it. It's a beautiful sport. Me: Could you describe your journey to becoming an artist? What were your original inspirations? Hayley: It started back when I could first hold a pencil. I've been drawing for as long as I could remember. You couldn't get me to stop. I'd draw on my test covers for school, in my notebooks, and even on my homework. My parents encouraged me to keep drawing, and bought me How-To books so I could learn how to draw different characters. My family loves Disney, as do I, so that's where I started to teach myself. As I got older, I started to try more intermediate subjects - animals and people. I loved horses, so naturally they were my favorite animal to draw. Still are! It wasn't until 2013 when I realized that I could be really good at this drawing thing and maybe I could make a career out of being an artist/illustrator. I started practicing, drawing different Disney characters, other characters, even making my own. As for animals, I started to study dogs and cats and furthered my knowledge of horses. And as they say, the rest is history. My original inspirations came from Walt Disney, just growing up with these movies. I admired how real the characters were, and I discovered that was all due credit to the animators. They have a special place in my heart. Everyone sees them as just cartoons, but these stories and the characters have definitely impacted my life in a positive way. Me: Do you remember which illustrated children's books were your favorites back when you were a young reader and why? Hayley: I was an avid fan of the Disney Golden Books and the Mickey and Friends: Around The World series. Each book would have them going to a different continent, and I just remember reading them until I had "visited" every country. Another series I liked and only owned one book was Glen Keane's Adam the Raccoon series. They were essentially parables, written for children and gave a good summary and lesson. It was very easy to understand. Me: What was the longest time you spent without drawing at all? Hayley: Back in January, I was out of basketball and school due to an concussion. Two weeks. I wasn't allowed to draw because of eye strain, which wouldn't help healing. It was hard, but I got over it. Me: Is there any type of project you haven't done yet, but dream of doing someday? Hayley: Absolutely. I'm very interested in the fine arts. I had the pleasure of meeting one of my heroes, Greg McCullough, who had recently been added as a Disney Fine Artist. His work is absolutely gorgeous and not only can he work in oils, his digital artwork is breathtaking. I was so inspired by his work, I thought to myself, "If he can do that, that means I can do it, too." So improving my work and merging into fine art is definitely one of my end goals. I'd love to have the opportunity to contribute my art to a gallery and attend different art shows. I've seen so many different ones online, and they look like so much fun! The possibilities are endless, and the dreams are many. I'd like to achieve each goal one at a time and go from there. My ultimate goal is basically centered on making people happy and smile with my art, while sharing the Gospel and telling people about God and how He changed my life. Me: Could you tell us a bit about any of your upcoming projects? Hayley: At the moment, I am planning to attend this year's Cincinnati Comic Con and a have a table in their artist's alley. As for other projects, I have been recently given the AMAZING honor of having my "Mockingjay Graffiti" featured at The Hunger Games Exhibition in Times Square. There, it'll join many other pieces of fan-art and travel with the exhibit. The next stop will be in San Francisco. Thank you, Hayley, for giving us a peak into your creative process and for bringing life to the story of Blue Blue Sea.
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