Pixar art director finds inspiration for characters in her San Francisco North Beach neighborhood
SAN FRANCISCO — On many days, you can find Pixar Art Director Deanna Marsigliese creating characters for animated movies in her North Beach apartment.
Sometimes she uses a pad and pen to sketch. Other times she uses bits of paper to make collages, that look a little familiar.
"I am my own muse," she said with a big smile. "I feel like any character I have designed for any animation project has me folded in some way. Even if it is not in form, it is figuratively in character and personality."
Many of those collages show a woman with bright red hair holding a drink.
The artwork is the centerpiece of colorful fliers advertising her monthly "Sip and Sketch" event, she hosts at the iconic North Beach bar, Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe.
"Sip and Sketch is just another reason to get artists together," said Marsigliese. "They are the backbones of North Beach, are the writers, the poets, the painter, the musicians."
On the Monday night KPIX popped into Specs', dozens of local artist were packed inside the dark and funky bar, armed with beverages, sketch books and good conversation. Many of the budding artist eager to meet and learn from Marsigliese in person.
"She is an artistic badass," said Lisa Gerger, a graduate student at the Academy of Art. "I feel like my creativity has a crush on her creativity, so I really wanted to see the kind of people who orbit her through osmosis and get some inspiration."
As an accomplished artist, animator, and now Art Director for Pixar, the "Sip and Sketch" event is Marsigliese's way of giving back to young artists and help a neighborhood she holds dear to her heart — a neighborhood she frequently taps for inspiration.
When she is not working in her studio, you may find her walking the streets of San Francisco or even hunkered down at Cafe Trieste, another iconic North Beach business, where Marsigliese fills her sketch book with the characters of the city.
"North Beach is full of stories and characters," she said. "You can't swing a cat without hitting an amazing character who wants to tell you an amazing story."
Marsigliese began working at Pixar in 2012. Some of her film credits include Incredibles 2 (2018), Toy Story 4 (2019), and Soul (2020).
She calls Luca (2021), one of her favorite films, because it tapped into her Italian heritage and because she had a hand in most of the characters in the movie while serving as the Art Director.
Other projects hit close to home too. For the short animation Bao (2018), she found inspiration in her own backyard by designing the plaza dancers of Chinatown.
"Which for me was an absolute delight, because Chinatown is one of my favorite neighborhoods and I am there multiple times a week," said Marsigliese.
And her handy sketchbook came in handy when she was given her assignment for the film Inside Out (2015), a movie based in San Francisco. Her task: to design the city's background characters.
"So, that was another project, another assignment where I could hit the ground running, because I walk the streets everyday," said Marsigliese. "I notice everything. I'm really curious. And I love people."
It is a love for the city and the North Beach neighborhood that became the genesis of "Sip and Sketch". During the pandemic, the bar and many other local businesses were forced to shut down.
Maralisa Simmons-Cook, who owns the bar with her mother, said they had to close for 14-months, and they nearly lost everything. She said local events like the sketching event have been a huge help.
"I felt emotional to have live art sketching back in the bar full of people being creative," said Simmons-Cook. "It has helped bring people in on slower nights and also raise the awareness of the bar in general, so people can come back later."
"One of the most important aspects is supporting the bar itself," said Marsigliese.
"During COVID, I was so worried for Specs, and I really wanted the Sip and Sketch to be another way in which I support one of my favorite places in the entire city."
The next "Sip and Sketch" event will happen on Monday, Sept. 25. Marsigliese normally posts the flier around North Beach and on her Instagram page: @deanna_marsigliese.
The next Pixar project, that she can talk about, is for Inside Out 2, which is expected to be released in June of 2024.