Walking Around Philadelphia (July 2024)
Madelyn Shaw has always admired art. Her mother is an artist, so from a young age, Madelyn was encouraged to be creative and pursue art. She would see art in everything and constantly change her mind on what she wanted to be when she grew up. Madelyn would make clothes out of tissues for her barbies, and she taught herself to sew. She also used to redesign the rooms in her house on paper. She would sculpt clay with her mom and draw all the time. But she was always drawn back to the moving pictures on the TV. Madelyn was fascinated by how the animated movies she watched were just frames pushed together. The movie that inspired her to become an animator was the film How to Train Your Dragon. She was mesmerized by the lovely art and storyline of the film and she would watch it multiple times a day. Her dream was to make something as beautiful as that movie.
Madelyn Shaw is currently a student at Drexel University, studying Animation and VFX. She is hoping to graduate in the summer of 2027. Madelyn’s 2D illustrations and sketches won her a Westphal Portfolio Scholarship at Drexel. She hopes to one day have a position at DreamWorks Animation Studios. Madelyn wants to use her degree to bring forward the stories that haven’t been told yet. She wants to make a difference with her art by telling stories that aren’t always told.
Aside from her passion for animation and art, Madelyn enjoys cooking and baking. She is currently learning her Italian grandmother’s ravioli recipe. Madelyn enjoys walks where she can clear her head and loves observing nature. She also loves animals and is going to be volunteering at an animal shelter in the fall.
Currently, Madelyn is working on a 2D animated short film. She is collaborating with her best friend and hopes to finish the project by the end of next year.
She can be contacted at didi.e8234@gmail.com