We recently connected with Haley Manchon and have shared our conversation below.

Haley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I feel like my approach to drawing reflects how timid I am as a person. When I first started to draw with graphite, I was so scared of making mistakes that I’d start with the lightest pencil across the whole piece, and then gradually build up tones with gentle layers. This technique translated pretty well to colored pencil, as I was lucky to have a fantastic art teacher in high school who introduced me to her process. She taught me the importance of gentle layering to let different pigments shine through. These techniques contributed to my ability to draw semi-transparently.

The introduction of dura-lar as a working surface during my college years was a pivotal moment. The semi-transparent plastic material allowed me to draw on both sides, offering new possibilities for experimentation and exploration in my artwork. I’ve used dura-lar for almost ten years now but I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I can do with it.

For so long, I focused on the development of observational drawing skills and realism. I think that’s natural for a lot of artists. The real challenge for me now is breaking away from strict realism and infusing my art with emotion and intention. This transition from replicating what I see to expressing what I feel will probably take a long, long time.

Haley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello! I am a drawing artist and graphic designer based outside of Philadelphia. I’m represented by MK Apothecary Gallery in Collingswood, NJ, and I have work displayed on the 2nd floor of The People’s Store in Lambertville, NJ. I also work as a graphic designer with an agency in Old City, Philadelphia.

My work considers the kinds of thoughts that pull me from the present moment into another state of mind. My recent pieces use superimposed imagery of compounded features and patterns to present a visual, literal cycling of these moments. The effect is often created by using one or multiple layers of dura-lar, which allow the marks of the drawing to delicately emerge and recede. It is within this soft framework of marks that a floating, impermanent sense of self is presented.

Aside from this, I have a love for drawing characters and scenes in my sketchbooks! These drawings are very personal – a strange mix of childhood nostalgia, painful memories and visual note taking. Slowly, but surely, I’d like to elevate them to the level of my other pieces.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Maybe this is an obvious one, but I’m still stuck in the arduous process of finding my artistic voice. My work doesn’t feel as cohesive as I’d like, it’s a bit sporadic. There’s also some distance between the work I love to look at and the work I make. I have a love for working in stylized illustration, which is currently isolated to my sketchbook. I think it has the potential to be so much more but it needs some love.

The more I work, the less each drawing feels like a finished piece, and more like a stepping stone towards something else. It’s exciting and daunting at the same time. A professor once told me that this sort of thing is a never-ending process. It’s going to take a while, but I’m getting there!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

College instilled a toxic productivity in me that I didn’t really get over until the pandemic. I was lucky enough to land a studio that I could work from and start sorting out my creative path. In that two-year period, I split my time between assisting my studio mate, completing commissioned artworks and creating personal pieces intended for gallery exhibitions. I worked pretty much every day unless something was on my calendar, which wasn’t often. I didn’t have a healthy work/life balance, for one, but I was also working in the wrong way. A lot of time was spent drawing and researching different tools for business, but I did little to no advertising or outreach. I didn’t research galleries or artists in nearby cities to introduce myself to. Basically, I caved into my introversion, and I wasn’t happy.

The pandemic gave me a lot of time to think about what I was doing. My dad always told me to “work smarter, not harder” – which I still could get better at – but I’ve been more conscious about my process. I look for ways to be more efficient in how I draw, and refine my search for opportunities based on who I think is a fit for my kind of work. My decision to work in graphic design helped solve a problem for me as well. Even though the job takes up a lot of time, the financial stability allows me to focus my creative energy entirely on the work I want to make and grow my practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.haleymanchon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haley_manchon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haleymanchonart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-manchon-63b973a8/