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What is your name?
Neil Hooson
Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I was born in Kamloops, but aside from a brief time in Alberta, I’ve lived in Kelowna most of my life.
Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
I love spending time with my partner and kids -- we have four boys with quite an age spread, and I like that we can all do things together. We live close to the Cawston bike path so we can all head over to Parkinson Rec Centre or cycle down to the beach. We’re really looking forward to the completion of the Ethel bike path so we can explore other areas of town more easily.
If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
If money were no object, I would jet off to Italy right now -- I would love to just absorb that depth of culture and history.
What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
It’s not a store, but I love going to Tree Brewing. The food is fantastic, and it’s fun to try a flight of beer and experience some new flavours. Also, I designed their Thirsty Beaver logo many moons ago and it’s fun to still see it on the shelves.
What is your favourite activity?
Outside of the family activities, I love playing guitar and tennis. A few years ago, I finally got my dream Les Paul electric guitar and it’s awesome to play!
If you had to choose: pizza, tacos, or burgers?
Don’t make me choose! Those are literally three of my absolute favourite foods!
If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Stan Lee! A while back I got to do a custom drawing which was presented to him on behalf of Disney Interactive. It would be cool to meet him in person and chat about characters and comics.
What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
In terms of my line of work, there have been two standout inspirational moments:
The first took place on a trip to L.A. for some meetings about Disney projects. My boss had arranged for our small group to have a tour of the Disney Animation Archives. My jaw was on the floor in awe the entire time. I got to see an original Eyvind Earle painting from Sleeping Beauty, a two-foot tall wooden Pinocchio puppet that Walt Disney had built for inspiration for that film, Mary Blair paintings, stop-motion puppets from The Nightmare Before Christmas, original Glen Keane drawings, and so much more. It was truly amazing and reignited that feeling I had as a kid when I first saw a lot of this art.
My other big inspirational moment was getting a tour of Pixar by one of the original story artists. There is a lot of creativity in that building, and it was inspiring to see all the concept artwork on the walls, and hear true behind-the-scenes stories about the creation of the amazing Pixar movies.
Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
I have really fond memories of my childhood, and growing up in Kamloops. I’d have to say my favourite memory would be just exploring in the nearby hills with my friends. Pretending we were characters from Star Wars, G.I. Joe, Dukes of Hazzard, etc…
Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I helped with some of the Pianos in the Park around town, and in the past few years, I have enjoyed working on projects for shows put on by the Kelowna Art Gallery. It’s so rewarding to attend the opening nights and see everyone’s incredible work. Recently, I’ve also been very fortunate to be part of a team that is creating artwork for the new Teck Acute Care Centre at the BC Children’s Hospital. It’s inspiring to know that our art will be helping children relax during a very stressful time.
What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
I’d say just being outdoors in general. Biking, swimming, dining on a patio, tennis, walking, exploring. We’re lucky all-year-round.
Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
If I wanted to spend time alone, I would probably head to one of the Beach Access areas along the lake and find a spot under a tree.
Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
I would love to see transportation in Kelowna improve, and I am glad to hear of plans for more bike routes, etc… I’d like to see drivers in Kelowna be more aware and courteous in general -- it would make life easier (and safer) for everyone. I’d also like to see more tech and arts companies in Kelowna. There has been growth in the past few years, and I’m hoping the immense talent pool in these areas will drive more business.
What is the name of your business/organization?
By day, I am Associate Art Director for Disney Interactive on the Brand Marketing team. We create branding and marketing materials for a huge variety of Disney mobile games. I love working with a diverse array of franchises such as Marvel, Star Wars, Dory, Frozen, Inside Out, etc. By evening, when I’m not doing dad stuff, I create digital artwork. My passions are character design, digital painting, colour sketches, graphic illustrations, motion design, etc...
How do people connect with you through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest)
I post artwork on these social media channels:
Twitter: @NeilHoosonArt
Instagram: @nhooson
Where can people find your business online?
My artwork can be seen at neilhooson.com
Why did you get into/start this business?
I got into digital art as a career back in 1996. I’ve loved drawing and animating as far back as I can remember, but I put art aside through high school and university. In my final year of a science degree at university, two serendipitous things happened: 1) I needed an arts credit so I took a “Drawing 101” type class, and 2) I saw an ad in a Kamloops newspaper advertising a summer computer animation program at Okanagan College in Vernon. Fresh out of that summer program, I hung up my math degree and started my own company to do freelance digital art.
What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
The biggest struggle is always time. It never seems like there’s enough to do everything I want to do!
If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
I’m tempted to say I would do some things differently (I learned some hard lessons jumping straight into the deep end of full-time freelance illustration/animation work in the Okanagan in 1996), but I don’t know that I would’ve wound up doing what I’m doing now --and I wouldn’t want to change that. So I’ll say I would leave things as they were, bumps and all.
Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
If local business are supported, everyone wins. That money stays in the community and creates more opportunity, which in turn can support more local business.
Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
Todd and Ashley Ramsay, for having the guts, passion and expertise to start an animation studio in Kelowna!
We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna.
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