ABOUT ME


I'm originally from Queens, New York. Queens is supposedly "the most ethnically diverse place in the world" and where I ate way too much souvlaki, dim sum and pizza, pizza, pizza. 

As a kid, I loved dreaming up stories. I spent most of my time drawing, reading and staging dramas with my toys. A few powerful stories shaped me as a person. "The Lion King" fueled a fascination with Africa. "Princess Mononoke" inspired me to learn Japanese. "Myst The Book of Atrus," a fantasy novel, gave me a profound respect for science. All these stories set off a keen desire to learn about the world. 

I graduated with a BA from Princeton University in 2006, with a major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I spent a life-changing semester studying tropical ecology in Panama. I spent hundreds of hours observing zebra behavior in Kenya. After I graduated, I fulfilled my dream to go to Japan and, for a year, taught English to Japanese high school students. These were fantastic adventures, inspired in large part by stories I had seen or read. In thinking about a career, I was drawn back to the power of story. Ultimately, I decided that I want to make a living creating stories that would get people as excited about life as the stories I grew up with did for me. 

I am currently based in Washington DC, where I create animations and illustrations for local clients. My clients include PBS Kids, The National Academy of Sciences and The Kennedy Center. My work has been seen by a lot of people and I think that's pretty rad. I also work on my own projects, including self-publishing two graphic novels: "The Seated Lady" (an original story) and "Myst The Book of Atrus" (based on my favorite novel as a kid, sold with permission from the authors). 

I am driven to hone my story and art skills. In 2012, I took a storyboarding intensive through Animation Collaborative, instructed by Pixar story artist Louis Gonzales. I especially appreciated his suggestion of doing improv. Over 2013, I took a set of four improv classes. It was a great lesson in teamwork, and how being part of a team can be so fun and productive. Most recently, I applied for the Motivarti program and was fortunate enough to be selected for mentorship by writer and director Brenda Chapman. Brenda is amazing and I've learned so much. I am very grateful to the people who have helped me over the years. I've realized that's it's really important to me to be a part of a community of artists.   

I am looking to work in a studio environment, as a storyboard or visual development artist, for Film or TVI want to be around other people who are passionate about story. The CTN Expo, in Burbank, has become my favorite event of the year. There's something electrifying about being around that many talented, hard-working artists, many of whom I've admired since I was a kid. I want to be in a studio where I can share in the knowledge of masters, have rewarding collaborations and serve a vision larger than I can produce myself. It'll be a big move, but I am actively looking for jobs in the LA area. 

I am planning to move to Los Angeles in January 2015. I'll be moving with my loving partner, Ilya, with whom I globe-trotted almost nine years ago. LA here we come! I'm excited to see what the future holds! 

Please be in touch,

Cell: 718 614 6898

Email: larkinheather@gmail.com

Heather