theculturalconnect.com | Sanjay Patel

Sanjay Patel, Artist and Animator

Artist and Animator Sanjay Patel

What do you have to do to become a part of one the most highly regarded creative teams in the world? According to thirty-two year-old Artist and Animator Sanjay Patel, you should “get a specific education that you’re passionate about, find a mentor, and get prepared to fail at least three times.” Perhaps then, at your fingertips will be the possibility of working at Pixar Animation studios, the Academy Award winning computer animation studio which has revolutionized creative talents to a whole new level. At Pixar, Sanjay is responsible for bringing 3D models to life in the “same way an actor brings life to character within a script”. In addition to spending a full 10 hours on Pixar work, Sanjay manages to cram in time to pen his own artistic vision. Sanjay put a spin on the “deep and serious tone” of Hindu mythology by starting Ghee Happy - his own publising company and brand that specializes in children's books that make these stories accessible to a younger audience. Having received a strong and widely-acclaimed response to his book, Sanjay has his eyes set on his next creative endeavor. Learn about the other hats that Sanjay wears by reading the Young and Professional Profile.

Name

Sanjay Patel

Company

Ghee Happy

Website

www.gheehappy.com

Title

Artist / Animator / Storyboard Artist

Age

Hometown

San Bernardino, California

Current residence

Oakland, California

Education

California Institute for the Arts (CAL-ARTS)

Work Experience

Film Roman » The Simpsons
Spumco » Bjork music video

Ethnicity

Gujarati (East Indian)

About your projects

I’m an animator for Pixar Animation Studios. With my spare time I created a web site to showcase my interest in design and Hindu mythology called Ghee Happy.

What are your responsibilities?

For Pixar, I’m responsible for bringing 3D models to life in the same way an actor brings life to a character within a script. For Ghee Happy, I’m responsible for everything, building a website, creating a brand, deciding on a message, creating content, and promoting it.

Most notable milestones

Finding artistic success with my personal art. Working at Pixar, you collaborate with hundreds of other amazing artists, and so your personal art never has an opportunity to succeed or fail. So it was quite an accomplishment for me to find the time to create my own book and self-publish it, then for it to be popular enough that the print run sells out within a month. This achievement was topped when Penguin books wanted to acquire it for traditional publishing. Its one thing to make people happy with the combined efforts of Pixar’s artist, its another thing to make people happy standing on your own two feet.

What’s the niche?

Everyone is unique. I just happen to be trained as an animator and a designer. So when it came time to express a vision that I thought was unique, out came Ghee Happy. The brand is unique in that Hindu mythology has never been crafted to appeal to a sense of fun and charm. The mythology is very deep and serious, and for most people, myself included, these obstacles have got in the way of some very worthwhile stories.

What’s in store for the future?

Well, Pixar takes up nearly ten hours of my day, which leaves me with about three hours to draw, doodle and design. Actually, my wife Manisha and I are thinking of starting a family so who knows how much free time I’ll have left. I’m currently really motivated to do one epic children’s book. I plan on it being my best work and sort of a style bible for everything I might do in the future. I’m planning on taking a year off from Pixar, to create this book, so I have high hopes for it.

Unexpected learnings along the way

Well a friend at work turned me on to the Rich Dad, Poor Dad books, and it changed my life. It is so weird to say that, since I’ve always been an artist, and being Desi, business and money are so ingrained in our culture. I think I really ran away from joining the family business and buying and running a motel. But then along came Rich Dad and within a year my wife and I sold our condo and bought an eight unit apartment building here in Oakland. The real reason we bought the business was so I could draw and paint without the pressure to compromise my vision. It was a business move to fulfill artistic ambitions.

Who would you like to be contacted by?

I love meeting other artists and designers that are as clueless and easygoing as I am. It’s also really nice to hear from those who enjoy Ghee Happy and take the time to share how much their kids love it, or how they wished they had something like my book when they were growing up.

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Best way to stay ahead

I don’t think about trying to stay ahead. For an artist, its more about being sincere and having integrity. You don’t chase other people’s tails. You concentrate and celebrate the forgotten and the overlooked.

Guiding principle in life

Luck favors the prepared. The price for success is paid up front. If you don’t have a plan you will find yourself in someone else’s. Create instead of consume, this one helps me turn off the TV.

Yardstick of success

The amount of emails from all over the world that I get every morning.

Goal yet to be achieved

To eclipse my professional income by my personal art work. That would be a proud day for me.

Best practical advice

Get a specific education that you’re passionate about, find a mentor, and get prepared to fail at least three times. Take the difficult road always, it will pay off in the future.

Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture

Growing up, my parents owned and lived in a motel in Southern California. As high school ended, I was finally ready to go to the art school of my dreams, which also meant moving out of my parent’s home. My parents till then were completely supportive of my artistic ambitions. But when they were faced with losing my help to run their business, they forbade me to leave. I was crushed and was ready to give up my dreams of art school. Luckily my older brother Amul spoke up on my behalf and convinced my parents to let me leave, which I did. I felt very guilty about the decision afterwards but a friend said something very true. He said, “Sometimes you have to help yourself before you can help the ones you love.”

Most memorable business experience

I’ll never forget the debut of my book “Little India” at the world famous San Diego Comic Convention. The place is a complete zoo of creativity, and out of the massive crowd, people found my book and said it was the most unique thing they had seen. Then my artistic hero’s that people were swarming around, made their way to meet me and to tell me what an inspiration my Ghee Happy work was. Tim Biskup creator of GAMMA-GO, came to my booth and bought my books and prints, along with painter Gary Baseman, and my wife’s favorite cartoonist Patrick Mcdonald, creator of a Sunday strip called “Mutts”, came over to get Ghee Happy. The list went on and on, and I was delirious with pride.

Mentor

Well, I will lump all of the amazing artist’s at Pixar as mentors, but I should single out John Lasseter, the guy started Pixar and is the new Walt Disney. Yet he still can come over to your desk and show you some trick on the computer that you would have never done. John has zeroed in on what’s most important: to not let a pretty drawing get in the way of a good idea. That is to say, be prepared to throw away all your work for the sake of entertainment that will be timeless.

At age 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a toy collector or an architect. I just loved drawing. As a kid I saw that the dad on the Brady Bunch drew and he worked as an architect, so I thought I could be the same.

What motivates you for success?

Success doesn’t motivate me as much as testing my limits. My motivation is to arrest people with beauty and charm that is meaningful, but I really draw and design because nothing else makes me feel more human than following my bliss.

Biggest pastime outside of work

Well if I’m not dealing with my apartment building, or designing stuff for Ghee Happy, I’ll get sucked into show’s like Six Feet Under or 24.

Like best about what you do?

I love making a sketch on paper and listening to music. I do this for hours and hours. It’s especially rewarding when there’s a specific idea that I’m trying to illustrate and finding an exciting way to show it. Usually I work to make myself happy and then I turn to my wife who is brutally honest. If I can get her approval, I’m on cloud nine.

Like least about what you do?

I hate that drawing and designing is so solitary and involves no physicality beyond moving a pencil or clicking mouse button. It’s really hard to get this stuff to look effortless unless you can chain yourself to a table for hours on end.

Person most interested in meeting and why?

Walt Disney had a profound vision that changed the medium of animation. Practically everything that we do today in feature animation is built upon the structure of what he and his team discovered in the early '30s.

Leader in business most interested in meeting and why?

Steve Jobs. Although I’ve met him several times at Pixar, I’ve never spoken to him candidly. Jobs has managed to keep so much integrity in his product that he has elevated the personal computer to become an art object that has astonishingly blazed a path of good design and aesthetics throughout out the world.

Three interesting facts about yourself

1. I’m Indian but I’ve never been to India.
2. I wear four contact lenses, two in each eye called “piggy backs” one soft and then one hard lens on top for each eye.
3. I love dipping French fries into salsa and cheese.

Three characteristics that describe you

1. Quiet and moody, hate Las Vegas, love Death Valley and the painted desert.
2. Love Primitive arts and ruins but hate travelling.
3. I love finding expensive clothes that don’t fit: it keeps me frugal without guilt.

Three greatest passions

1. Sight, and visual arts.
2. Sounds, music of all kinds.
3. Good comedy and laughing.

Favorite book

The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.

Favorite cause

The California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA). This organization helps budding art students in high school get a taste of a real art school with the best and the brightest from around the state. It’s a fantastic education done to bridge to disappearing art education in high schools.

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Artist and Animator Sanjay Patel

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