Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelbi Nicole.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
As a child I fell in love with creating all sorts of art, but more specifically painting and recognized very early on that there were health benefits as well. I’ve always found painting to be extremely therapeutic and because of this I’ve never stopped. Through my high school and college years, I painted, but was not formally trained in the arts and did it more as a hobby. I went through many phases exploring my creativity, but ultimately always gravitated towards painting with vivid colors, abstract imagery and always acrylics. It’s me.
So, fast forward to 2013, I was working a corporate roll in Logistics and got laid off. That was when I really decided to pursue my passion for the arts more fulltime. I left the corporate world and started creating as much work as I could and displaying it anywhere anyone would let me. I kept at it and eventually decided to open an art design business. Now, for the past 4 years, I’ve been successfully running Shelbi Nicole Designs and have designed and painted over 100 murals and/or artworks in and around Houston for all sorts of clients.
Please tell us about your art.
The work I create for myself, aside from my commercial client commissions, is done most often with a roller in one hand and paint pens in the other. I love to manipulate shapes and colors together like pieces of a puzzle. My inspiration usually comes during the actual creative process itself. I add color, then remove color, add layers and then manipulate the work to a point of completion. I start first by introducing color, shapes or lines, and respond to their development. I’m constantly rearranging the artwork, adding and subtracting, and eventually it comes together after many layers have been added turning into a playful, abstract, whimsical collage of all sorts of
feel good vibes.
I paint to express myself, and also, as a reflection of where I am in life, how I’m responding to things and what it looked like to me on canvas. I love capturing it and when I look back at my work over the years the art tells a story that I see and very much enjoy.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
I think it’s crucial to have a strong work ethic if you want to make a living as an artist and if you’d like to have your work viewed by a broader audience. To me success as an artist is also about challenging yourself consistently and more each time you take on a new project.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can view my work on social media @TheShelbiNicole or @ShelbiNicoleDesigns and on my website at www.ShelbiNicole.com.
You can support by purchasing prints or merchandise on my site or hiring me to paint murals for you or someone you know! The support means everything, so thank you!
Contact Info:
- Address: 5380 w 34th st Ste 303 Houston, Texas 77008
- Website: www.shelbinicole.com
- Phone: 346-702-3757
- Email: info@shelbinicole.com
- Instagram: @TheShelbiNicole
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/shelbinicole.gregory
- Twitter: @TheShelbiNicole
- Other: @ShelbiNicoleDesigns
Image Credit:
Shelbi Nicole
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