About



 Hello,


     My name is Shauna Leva. Currently, I am enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Hartford Art School because I want to be an Illustrator. I have always wanted to be an Illustrator; I was drawing at a very young age and creating and depicting stories through my doodles was one of my favorite things to do. I could keep myself busy for hours illustrating my thoughts and ideas on a stack of white printer paper.

Because of my talents, I was always known as the “art girl” at school, and I was awarded the superlative “most artistic” during my senior year of high school. I always had a wide range of styles: I was encouraged throughout my elementary schooling to depict the world both realistically, and through cartooning. I was very interested in the style of manga when it came to America, and I taught myself to draw like the Japanese manga-ka in no time. At age thirteen I began selling my manga work at Anime Conventions. My work was very well received and so I continued to sell at conventions and festivals for the next few years. In 2006 and 2007 I published the first two volumes of an original Manga series: Celestial Condemnation.

The exposure that I gained from selling my work prompted me to begin this website where I could display, promote, and possibly sell my work or services as an illustrator. Shortly after starting this website back in 2006 I began teaching how to draw workshops in libraries and community centers in the Boston area. Though illustration is a very important part of my life, I have interests in other creative areas as well; I sew, scrapbook, and cosplay for fun. I also have a great interest and aptitude for other areas of art such as ceramics, drawing, painting, and design. I’m also a big fan of science and knowing how things work.

While in school, I aim to further develop and diversify my skills as an artist. I continue to take commissions year-round, and I attend anime and comic-book conventions to cosplay seasonally. After I graduate, I plan to become a full-time Illustrator, but I hope to always have a wide range of hobbies and interests.

If you have any questions about commissions, workshops, or any of my work, I'd be happy to send you more information.


-Shauna Leva

 

Art Awards and Achievements/ Recognition

  • Outstanding Sophomore Portfolio for 2010 Award from the Hartford Art School Illustration Department.
  • UHA Science Fiction Society (The Guild) Art Contest Winner: First Place
  • University of the Hartford Spectrum Club Halloween Costume Contest Winner, couples division
  • UHA Science Fiction Society (The Guild) Halloween Costume Contest Winner: First Place.
  • University of Hartford Excellence in Freshman Drawing Award
  • New England Scholastic Press Association: Journalism Award: Special Achievement for Artwork/Cartoon
  • 6th District Congressional Art Competition : Best in School
  • Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards: Silver Key, Gold Key Portfolio and Honorable Mention
  • Selected for Art All State 2007
  • Participant in High School Majors Art Gallery Show, four years
  • Pre-College summer exhibition ribbon at the Art Institute of Boston
  • Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competiton,  Honorable Mention

Scholastic Achievements

  • President and Dean's list for the '10 spring semester at the University of Hartford
  • President and Dean's list for the '09 fall semester at the University of Hartford
  • President and Dean's list for the '09 spring semester at the University of Hartford
  • President and Dean's list for the '08 fall semester at the University of Hartford
  • Induction to Sigma Alpha Pi, National Society of Leadership and Success.
  • Book Award from Rhode Island School of Design
  • Student of the Month October of 2007 Burlington High School
  • Holy Cross Book Award
  • Burlington High School Red and White Award (all A's all four terms) four years in a row
  • Burlington High School Academic Achievement Awards in:
    • Drawing and Painting I, II, and III
    • Portfolio/ Advanced Art
    • World History I
    • Latin I, and II
    • English
    • American History
    • Geometry
  • Member of National Honor Society since 2006

Leadership Roles

  • Sergeant at Arms of the University of Hartford's 'The Guild.' Spring semester, '10.
  • Co-President of High School Anime Club two consecutive years
  • Private Drawing and Workshop Instructor

Artwork Permanently on Display

  • Mural: Burlington Public High School: 123 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA
  • Mural: Sammy's Deli: 59 Winn Street, Burlington, MA
  • Mural: Peabody Institute Library: 82 Main St, Peabody, MA

Conventions/ Art Festivals/ Gatherings Previously Attended


Libraries/Community Centers Previously Employed By for Workshops (Incomplete List)

  • Burlington, MA Public Library
  • Burlington, MA Recreation Department
  • Peabody, MA Institute Library
  • Topsfeild, MA Public Library
  • Bedford, MA Free Public Library
  • Hudson, NH Hills Memorial Library



 
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