A Snohomish artist’s quest to make monsters you can hug

SNOHOMISH — No matter how hard you look, you’ll never see a jackalope in the wild. And it’s not because of climate change or habitat loss. The critter simply doesn’t exist.

The legend of an antler-sporting rabbit first entered public consciousness in 1932, when a Wyoming taxidermist created and sold a mounted jackalope, according to the Smithsonian Institution. That knowledge was lost on a young Danie Hadsall. In her youth, she dreamed of colonies of jackalopes hopping across fields just out of view. Her fascination only grew after learning they were a myth.

Hadsall, 34, is a professional illustrator and graphic designer from Snohomish who describes herself as “just a little peculiar.” Her mission as an artist is twofold: bring attention to obscure beasts in mythology, and make the weird appear wonderful.

“My brain is like a magical forest, but with a hint of spooky,” Hadsall said.

To accomplish her mission, Hadsall uses a mix of rich pinks and calming blues in her digital depictions of frightening beasts such as the Mothman. According to legend, that flying humanoid creature with glowing red eyes was first spotted in West Virginia in 1966. And, as legend has it, disasters occur shortly following sightings of the creature.

“It was fun to draw a little harbinger of doom cute-like,” Hadsall said. “You always see them as creepy or monster-like. I never see monsters as creepy. I see them as misunderstood, maybe needing a hug.”

Hadsall began her professional art career after earning a degree in 2018 at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland. Back then, she specialized in 3D art because ‘that’s where all the jobs were.” She went on to do production design work at A Crowded Coop in Monroe.

There she sketched concept art for collectables and branded merchandise such as “Overwatch” snow globes, a “BioShock” dog collar and “Ghostbusters” cookie jars. She enjoyed the work, but unfortunately she was laid off after a year and struggled to find something similar.

“I just loved what I did at that job so much,” she said. “I didn’t want to give it up, but I could never find something like it again. So I decided to make it myself.”

Hadsall sells her merchandise under the name Curious Nature Studio at conventions, online and at Artisans PNW in Everett. Her typical wares consist of stickers, patches and enamel pins, which sell for $3 to $6, while art prints sell for as much as $50.

It can take Hadsall as little as eight hours to finish some designs, while others take months. She often works on multiple projects at once, switching back and forth between them on her tablet computer depending on whichever task catches her interest in the moment.

Some artists create works associated with movies or video games, but Hadsall isn’t passionate about pop culture. She wants the freedom to make whatever captures her interest, which for her is fantasy fauna.

This passion for folklore was sparked in her youth by such things as the 1997 animated film “Princess Mononoke” and the “Pokémon” video game series. Many characters in these products are based on beasts from Japanese mythology. Learning that fact led Hadsall down a rabbit hole.

Hadsall eats up myths and legends, then spits out ethereal renditions of things that go bump in the night. Some of her favorite creatures include the Baku, a supernatural being from Japan who devours nightmares. There’s also the Bakunawa, a giant water serpent that causes eclipses by swallowing the moon. It’s a monster from Philippine mythology that Hadsall thinks deserves more love.

“This is one of the coolest stories,” Hadsall said. “I mean, a dragon that eats the moon? Come on.”

Hadsall’s fascination with these fantasy creatures is about more than just aesthetics. She relates to the feelings of loss, anxiety and depression they embody. For Hadsall, drawing these creatures is therapeutic and a way to put a face to a thought.

The phrase ”Cryptid in Disguise” is found in several of her online bios. It’s a nod to the kinship Hadsall feels with the creatures cast out for their oddity. In her mind, scary doesn’t mean evil. It’s not bad to have negative emotions, just like it’s not bad to have a mothman who minds its own business, Hadsall said, but neglecting or disrespecting either is not a wise decision.

“I don’t want to come off too deep,” Hadsall said. “A lot of these creatures are based off my depression and whatnot. It is something that we do have to live with, but we have to treat it right.”

This month, Hadsall launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the creation of her Lunar Jackalope. The stuffed animal will enter factory production if Hadsall reaches $5,000 on Kickstarter by 4 p.m. April 29. Success will take Hadsall one step closer to achieving her goal of making monsters that people can hug.

Long term, Hadsall wants to design more plushies and someday draw a children’s book.

Whatever she’s making, the goal remains the same: “I just hope to be a stepping stone for inspiration,” Hadsall said, “to keep people curious about the world.”

For more information, visit curiousnature.shop.

Eric Schucht: 425-339-3477; eric.schucht@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EricSchucht.