Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
Hi, my name is Bri! I was born in L.A. but grew up in rural Nevada. I moved back to L.A. for school, and graduated from ArtCenter College of Design in 2015 with a BFA in Entertainment Arts Illustration. I actually started off my education pursuing a fine art painting degree, and changed my mind early on because my peers in entertainment arts were making more story-driven stuff and that inspired me.
I started my career with an internship in gaming, then (changed my mind again) and pivoted to animation when my internship ended. I’ve worked on Rick & Morty, Big City Greens, and Bob’s Burgers as a Background Painter, and I’ve done visual development for Starburns, Stoopid Buddy, Nick Jr., and DreamWorks TV. I also do a lot of freelance in video games, TTRPGs (table-top role playing games), comics, and publishing.
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
Staying creatively fresh and energized is definitely the hardest part for me. I think a lot of people in animation eventually realize that it’s hard to keep your passion for something when you do it 40 hours a week for years. So it’s been important for me to find a work/life balance, and keep some things precious to me (hence all the freelance in other fields). My personal work is really different than my professional animation work, and I think that’s what keeps me going during creative rough patches.
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
Painting has been my #1 passion in life since my teen years, so I knew I always wanted to do that in some regard. Some of my early influences
were Scott Wills, Kevin Dart, and Mary Blair. Song of the Sea came out when I was in school, and it completely rewired my brain, so I’m a huge Cartoon Saloon worshipper as well. I think that’s when I realized that background painting was for me. I also got into Masaaki Yuasa around the same time. I’m really inspired by different schools of animation from around the world, and I’m drawn to stuff that pushes limits.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
I hope I can inspire and help people! My journey through the industry was not done alone. I had a lot of support from my friends, mentors, and kind strangers who gave me a chance or a kind word. Just showing someone you believe in them is insanely powerful, and it costs nothing. I started teaching on and off at my alma mater in 2018, and a few of my students have since become my peers. It’s such a rewarding experience.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
Oh man, everything. Speaking of not going on a journey alone, that’s exactly how being in a union feels. It’s great that I always have a thriving network of fellow workers to turn to for help and guidance whenever I need it, and who can turn to me for the same. I think class solidarity and worker solidarity are the most important things in the workforce. The strength of our Union, and all fellow unions, during these really tumultuous times continues to inspire me.
Learn more about Bri at her website.
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