Me at Sunday’s “What Matters” panel: “[…] I’m an awkward weirdo.”
Paul Klein,
moderator/art critic: “You hide it well! You’re not awkward at all. You’re just
weird.”
Thank you so much to
those who attended, to Paul and Startup Art Fair for inviting me to be a part
of it, and to all the amazing artists I met for being you!
 |
| Sheila Arora, Flower Healer, acrylic on paper, 18x24 in. |
On the subject of
amazing artists, I interviewed painter Sheila Arora, whom I represent! Here
are her own words, unfiltered and free-flowing like her art:
Jenny Lam: Introduce
yourself!
Sheila Arora: Hi Jenny, thanks for
talking with me! I’m an artist living in Chicago. I have always been drawing
and painting. I used to do traditional work including figure, still life, and
portrait. I started the abstract acrylic painting a few years ago, and I found
it was a great fit with my style. I love using color and exploring marks. My
current work is expressive, free, and a total explosion of joy on the canvas.
 |
| Sheila Arora, May I have a piece of cake please, acrylic on paper, 18x24 in. |
JL: Could
you describe your work (both your abstract paintings as well as your portraits)
and the process that goes into it?
SA: My paintings are bold.
I use a lot of color and marks to keep the pieces active. I have a busy mind,
and that is reflected in my work. I’m also a risk-taker when I paint, so I’ll
go for anything and everything. I’m always pushing my work in new directions.
 |
| Sheila Arora, I tried to say thank you in a million ways, acrylic on paper, 18x24 in. |
My process is very
intuitive. I lean into the intuition and trust that what I’m feeling is where
the painting wants to go. I generally work on a series of pieces that will
consist of 15-30 paintings. The overall series is an idea of what I want to
capture. For example, I am currently working on a series of paintings called Expressions.
These pieces are all about exploring freedom of the line, being looser with the
paint, and letting go.
 |
| Sheila Arora, My room is messy but you're still invited, acrylic on paper, 18x24 in. |
The portraits are a
really fun combination of the abstract and realistic work. I used to do lots of
figure drawing from the model, so I have a really good grasp of the face. I
start with a reference photo to understand placement of features and lighting,
and then I add the abstract component to make the piece totally crazy. I have
two portrait series: Crazy Portraits and Princess Warriors. I
started adding some writing to the Princess Warrior series to bring the
characters to life.
 |
| Sheila Arora, Fallen Angel, acrylic on paper, 9x12 in. [Update: SOLD!] |
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| Sheila Arora, Story Weaver, acrylic on paper, 9x12 in. [Update: SOLD!] |
JL: As
someone who’s also both an artist and a writer, I love that some of your
paintings are accompanied by your writing. What a wonderful way to combine two
art forms. Could you also explain your process for that? Do you come up with
the painting or story/poem first? Also, how did you get into creative writing?
SA: I love to write. I have
a crazy imagination, so creative writing has always been a natural fit for me.
I recently started combining the two art forms. I started writing a set of stories
based on my small abstract painting series. I would pick a painting and
use that as a starting point for the story. I let the painting give me the
ideas, and then I would write a short piece from my imagination. I wrote about
everything from a rainbow tornado to a buffalo cave! I wrote 30 of these short
stories, and each one was totally different and fun.
[Continue reading more
after the jump.]
 |
| The Worm Hole, acrylic on paper, 9x12 in. |
One day I decided to pick flowers from the garden. I collected only the pink ones that I had five petals and put them in my hair. I got slightly greedy and tried to pull out this tall pink punk rock flower with this avant-garde haircut that was growing totally out of control. I reached over to grab the stem and slipped and fell backwards down this magenta worm hole. I had never been down a worm hole before, but the flowers in my hair bloomed into the most lovely, over-sized parachute above my head. I floated down safely towards the empty seat next to the Queen Worm who introduced herself as Katherine.
I then started
experimenting with combining poetry with the paintings. I did the same
thing by letting the paintings lead me to the poem. I would look at the
painting and then the poem would flow from there.
 |
| acrylic on paper, 9x12 in. [Update: SOLD!] |
The orange hug
swallowed me
like a whale
and wouldn’t let go.
My latest set of
written pieces included writing a crazy fun sentence based on one of the
paintings from my Imaginary Spaces series.
 |
| acrylic on paper, 12x12 in. |
A giant flower with feather wings grew out of the chimney of the pink house.
JL: At
one point you created a painting a day. A lot of people wish they could be a fraction
as prolific! How do you stay motivated and inspired? How do you come up with
all those ideas?
SA: Yes! I love painting. I
have so many ideas that I want to explore on the canvas. I stay motivated and
inspired by trying new things. I’m constantly challenging myself to push my
work in different ways. I follow what I’m drawn to at the time.
This is the first
painting that inspired my new series Expressions. It’s titled I’m so excited about this new direction that
I can’t stop smiling.
 |
| Sheila Arora, acrylic on paper, 18x24 in. |
JL: You
attended Princeton for undergrad and the University of Chicago for grad school,
and you have a corporate job. How have academia and the corporate world
affected your artistic process, if at all? (Perhaps being immersed in un-artsy
environments allows you to use your art as a sort of creative release or
catharsis?)
SA: I was an Economics
major at Princeton, and I concentrated in Marketing and Strategy for my MBA at
Chicago Booth. I love learning. I think this curiosity and desire to explore translates
into my artistic process. I am always learning from other artists and trying
new things. In my paintings, I’m not afraid to put a color down and see what
will happen. I might mess it up, but I also might love it. Painting is another
way of exploring through a different set of tools.
 |
| Photo by Sheila Arora. |
I have a corporate job.
I work in Finance so I’m working with numbers all day long. In contrast to my
colorful paintings, my office at work is white and plain. I prefer this type of
day job that uses a different side of the brain, so after work I still have all
my creative energy. I look forward to painting in the evenings when I get home
to my studio space!
 |
| Sheila Arora, Circle Tribe, acrylic on canvas, 36x36 in. |
JL: How
does living in Chicago affect your creative process and art?
SA: I like to go for walks outside and collect fragments of colors and spaces. I take those vibrant pieces of life and let them fill my imagination. My work is influenced by my busy and active surroundings. I think you can see the city-life influence in some of my paintings. I also live just a few blocks from the Art Institute of Chicago, which is a great place for being inspired by an amazing art collection!
 |
| Sheila Arora, Pick Me, acrylic on canvas, 24x24 in. |
JL: In addition to the city, what/who
inspires you?
SA: I’m inspired by lots of
artists and writers. I’m drawn to abstract intuitive painters, and I admire
artists who are also entrepreneurs. I’m currently listening to the podcast “Big
Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert, which is based on her new book about living a
creative life beyond fear. In each episode, she helps people—writers, dancers,
musicians, artists—overcome their creative blocks. It’s so inspiring to see
people pursue their creative dreams. It reminds me that creative pursuits are
important and should not be pushed aside!
JL: Tell
the readers a fun fact about yourself!
SA: My last name is a palindrome.
SA: My last name is a palindrome.
JL: Mind. Blown. And
anything else you’d like to add!
 |
| Photo courtesy of Sheila Arora. |
Thank
you, Sheila!
Art
collectors, if you would like to purchase any pieces, and art galleries, if you
would like to showcase Sheila’s work, let me know!
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