Valencia Sinclair
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Even as a little girl growing up in the town of Saint Andrews, Valencia
always knew that she wanted to be an artist. Encouraged by her mother,
who is an artist in her own right, skilled in the craft of crochet,
Valencia began drawing. Eventually, she would place a series of
drawings together unto two broomsticks, creating a scroll. The scroll
would be placed inside a cardboard box. By turning the broomsticks, she
tried to create the illusion of motion. The children in her
neighborhood would gather to watch these presentations. Years later,
she would learn that she was creating a rudimentary form of animation.
Emigrating from Jamaica to the United States as an adolescent, Valencia
continued to build upon her varied body of paintings and drawings. Her
formal training in the arts began at Pratt Institutes in Brooklyn, New
York where she received three scholarships and earned a certificate in
figure drawing. It was there that Valencia would delve into other
media, such as sculpting. Her training continued at the prestigious
School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City. At SVA, Valencia would
further develop her skill as an artist and would go on to receive her
Bachelor of Fine Arts in media arts. Upon her graduation from SVA,
Valencia continued her studies at the University of California at Los
Angeles (UCLA) where she received her Master of Fine Arts in Film and
Television (with a focus on cartoon animation).
Valencia has worked on staff as a freelance artist for some of the top people in the entertainment industry. For example she worked in character design for Hanna Barbera Studios and individuals including critically acclaimed actor/director Forest Whitaker and pioneering Jamaican filmmaker Perry Henzell. Valencia has also had her work commissioned by municipalities and other organizations. Her work has also been displayed in a wide range of exhibitions including the Watts Summer Festival in Los Angeles and as a guest of California Russian Artists at the VIVA Gallery in Northridge, a suburb just north of Los Angeles. Recently, she designed the cover of a book for Guda Gayle-Evans, Associate Professor at the University of South Florida in St Petersburg.
Today, Valencia continues to pursue her career as an artist. She is also committed to imparting her knowledge on to young people. This includes work with various non-profit and public institutions such as the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), Anim-Action Studios, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the City of Glendale, California. Valencia believes that the Arts are very important part of an individual's life. Through her individual work and in collaboration with others, Valencia hopes to inspire young people through the Arts.
Valencia has worked on staff as a freelance artist for some of the top people in the entertainment industry. For example she worked in character design for Hanna Barbera Studios and individuals including critically acclaimed actor/director Forest Whitaker and pioneering Jamaican filmmaker Perry Henzell. Valencia has also had her work commissioned by municipalities and other organizations. Her work has also been displayed in a wide range of exhibitions including the Watts Summer Festival in Los Angeles and as a guest of California Russian Artists at the VIVA Gallery in Northridge, a suburb just north of Los Angeles. Recently, she designed the cover of a book for Guda Gayle-Evans, Associate Professor at the University of South Florida in St Petersburg.
Today, Valencia continues to pursue her career as an artist. She is also committed to imparting her knowledge on to young people. This includes work with various non-profit and public institutions such as the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), Anim-Action Studios, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the City of Glendale, California. Valencia believes that the Arts are very important part of an individual's life. Through her individual work and in collaboration with others, Valencia hopes to inspire young people through the Arts.