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Meet the Artist

Howdy! My name is Shai McClain, but you can call me ShaiShai! I love working with all mediums, especially clay and illustrating!
Shai McClain
Not that many people are looking to know, but my childhood was pretty spicy. I grew up in the North Texas and I’m the middle child of my family, with an older brother and younger sister. Deemed the “wild child” from birth, I found my creativity and curiosity endless. I’ve always loved making art, it wasn’t like I found a passion growing up. It’s something that came so naturally, that I had a hard time understanding that some people didn’t enjoy creating art. Along with drawing on some walls and too many finger paints, I loved creating stories and drawing stick-figure comics to accompany them!
Middle school was where I really doubled down on drawing. From there I spent years finding my own “art style,” and I’ll tell you a secret- I still haven’t found it yet. In terms of skill, I was a master at colored pencil. If you gave me a reference picture, I could replicate it almost perfectly. But jeez, realism is BORING! Some say cartoon and comic styles are too easy… but at least they are fun!
High school came around and suddenly pencil and paper was out of the door- and in came clay! I took many different art classes such as ceramics, advanced studio art, and AP 3D art design! Ceramics was something wholly unexpected, yet it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Sculpture is so fun and so creatively freeing, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The world of Multi-Media exploded in front of me and it’s absolutely amazing! Suddenly ALL of my artworks were multi-medium. Everything I made was full of ideas and creativity, and nothing was just “a drawing.” Even as I’m creating today, I still think to myself, “is there something else I can add to this? What can I do to give it that POP!”
I have to give it to my interests throughout the years. Film, boxing, cosplay, outdoors, and music, all influence my process today. I love anime, superhero’s, story writing, and character design. I’m always creating new and exciting worlds and stories in my head, maybe one day I’ll have the time to write them all down!
In the future, whether it’s through tv, movies, comics, or books, I want to produce many different series about all of my worlds and characters. There’s so special and unique about fiction. It’s your own little world where you can do absolutely anything you want. And through that story telling, you can inspire others to reach for the stars. Just as I have been inspired by others. My dreams for the future are long and many, however, I know that I can be successful in reaching my goals just as many have done before me. I’d like to travel the world, showcasing my art even in the farthest corners. I want to create my stories and have others in awe of me and my journey. Stay tuned.”