Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Blecha.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chelsea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always been a creative, drawing or writing stories from the moment I first held the pencil that my mom, also an artist, put in my hand. I remember as a child having so many stories spilling out of my head that I didn’t know exactly how to express them, so I picked up anything that allowed me to create. From painting to playing instruments, I experimented with it all. Films and books had a big effect on me as the stories were a way to live many different lives all at once. I feel this is a primary reason I enjoy environment painting so much – I’m able to create the scene in my head and present a mood to the viewer.
After high school, I moved away from my home in Carlsbad to Long Beach, CA to pursue art. I graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BFA in Illustration/Animation, and then eventually settled in Los Angeles. I now go back and forth between Carlsbad and West LA.
Has it been a smooth road?
My journey was far from a smooth one. My goal has always been to work in the animation industry. When I graduated college my work was not at the level it needed to be, so I spent two years teaching myself how to digitally paint every day. Competition in this industry is extremely cutthroat – I cannot even count the number of rejection emails I received from studios, but none of that deterred me from continuing to try. My advice to young women who are just starting on their journey into illustration or animation is to work harder than the rest and emulate artists who you look up to. Hard work pays off (guaranteed!).
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am an illustrator + visual development artist and currently work full time as a background designer on an unannounced Disney TV show at Wild Canary Animation. I have freelanced for companies including Simon & Schuster, Procreate, and Playboy. I specialize in environment painting with a focus on light and color and I’m mostly known for my mood paintings. As an artist, I am most proud of my growth and style, which I believe sets me apart from others. With a lot of hard work, I’ve come a long way in a very short amount of time, and it’s been quite a whirlwind of an experience that I’m so thankful for! This September, I’ll be tabling at my first convention, the inaugural LightBox Expo in Pasadena, where I’ll be selling my work for the first time.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
I believe my childhood experiences definitely prepared me for what I was about to encounter later in life. I moved several times as a kid and dealt with a lot of change while growing up, which taught me how to cope well with chaos and get along with different types of people. My family has always been supportive of my art which really helped me continue on my path, even when things got tough.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chelseablecha.com
- Email: chelseablecha@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chelseablecha
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/chelseablecha
- Other: www.behance.net/chelseablecha
Image Credit:
Chelsea Blecha
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