Meet Kenneth Shanika

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kenneth Shanika. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kenneth below.

Kenneth, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I’m the second of eight children. I grew up in a working class neighborhood in north St Louis in a house the size of my current garage. From the time I was a toddler I watched my father modify that house. With a shovel and wheelbarrow he dug a basement under the house then moved rooms around on the main floor and finally turned the attic space and basement into bedrooms. I watched him and later as I got older helped him with the constant renovations. Somehow he made space for all eight kids. My father worked several jobs at a time to support his growing family. He left for work before we got up to go to school and returned home after our bedtime. Dad was an artist at heart. In addition to working multiple jobs he made time to create paintings in a corner of the basement. As a self-taught artist he created his paintings on the weekends, nights or any moment he could find. I remember sitting on a one-gallon paint can where I’d watch him create a painting. It seemed like magic. I believed that my father could do anything. He inspired me and I learned that I could do anything too. In a way he proved that one could move a mountain, one shovel full at a time. He taught me to dream, to follow my dreams and never give up. I’ve always tried to do the best I could with whatever I had.
As you can imagine, my parents could not afford to help me with the costs of going to university. I attended the Kansas City Art Institute on a combination of scholarships, grants, loans and work job on campus. I also held down weekend jobs. I earned my BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1975.
After graduating, I could not find meaningful employment so I started my own business. I owned and operated the Colony Bistro Art Gallery and Frame Shop and America’s Heartland Gallery for nearly 28 years. At that time I felt that I needed a fresh start. I needed to follow my dream of being a full time artist.
My wife and I decided to sell the business and move to Colorado so I could follow my dream. We purchased some land, I designed and built a house and studio and started fulfilling my dream. I was painting full-time, supplying galleries with my work, and entering and winning awards at art shows.
I was the original co-founder and the director of the Pikes Peak Plein Air Painters for nearly 20 years.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I spend almost every day fulfilling my dream of being an artist. There is seldom a day that passes that you won`t find me hard at work creating paintings. Numerous paintings are scattered around my studio in various stages of completion. When not in my studio you can find me painting outdoors. My primary focus is on creating landscape paintings in oil or watercolor. My favorite subject is the beautiful scenes of the Rocky Mountains and the rolling hills, valleys, and lakes of the Missouri Ozarks. “I like to look for the subtle beauty of these areas. However, those are not my only subjects, I return to Wyoming yearly and regularly travel from New Mexico to Montana expanding my subject matter.

“I get so excited, there is so much beauty around me. I can`t control my passion. I have this burning desire to share my discoveries with other people.” I’ve spent years creating a series of paintings of the Pikes Peak region, the Rocky Mountains, and currently the area around the Lake of the Ozarks. My main focus is painting landscapes. My hope is for the viewer to emerge in the scene and connect with it. I’d like for them to feel as though they were the ones to discover the location.
In addition to creating my artwork, I teach painting. I love to teach. I’m proud and humbled that so many of my students have become better artists.
OBJECTIVE: My objective is to share my personal artistic vision with other people, to explore and interpret the beauty of the world around me, to record the vanishing west through my paintings, to teach and inspire.

I’m a full-time professional artist. I create oil and watercolor paintings that focus on the Vanishing landscapes of America. I try to create paintings that tell a story and encourage the viewer to emerge themselves into.
I have a passion for teaching. I love to mentor young people and encourage them to develop their artistic skills. I teach weekly teen classes with students starting at 13 years of age. I hope that they continue through high school and beyond. Many of my teen students have won numerous awards, prizes, and scholarships. One of my students, Jared Brady, went on to become a very successful professional artist.
I also teach adult students. Often they have a range level of skills. I strive to take them to a higher level of competency. My philosophy of teaching is to let the students have fun, and gain skills..
Teaching keeps me young.

In addition to creating my artwork, I teach painting. I love to teach. I’m proud and humbled that so many of my students have become better artists.
OBJECTIVE: My objective is to share my personal artistic vision with other people, to explore and interpret the beauty of the world around me, to record the vanishing west through my paintings, to teach and inspire

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I think the most important quality an aspiring artist needs is to never give up, to believe in themself, to be patient, and keep working.
They will need to develop all the skills to perfect their craft. They need to continue to learn.
They need to understand the fact that they are a small business and learn the skills to operate as a business.
They need to learn how to effectively promote themselves and their artwork.
They need to understand that they need to share their experiences and vision.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

As my career was growing I met many fine artists who mentored me, encouraged me and influenced my work.
I’d be remised if I did not mention some of those people and artists and give them credit for their support.
First, and foremost my wife Cindi for her faith in me, unconditional encouragement and support.
Lee Cable influenced me and introduced me to the Susan K. Black Foundation.
Pam Dean-Cable director of the SKB for her support a loyalty.
Jim Parkman founder of the Susan K. Black Foundation for encouraging me to mentor young people and supported me in starting my teen art classes.
Morten Solberg was like an uncle to me. He taught me so much about working in watercolor. He inspired me.
David Rankin continues to encourage and inspire me.
Sir John Seere-Lester was a true friend and mentor.
Suzy Seerey-Lester for being my friend and inspiration.
Wanda Mumm my mentor and friend.
John Phelps a role model.
Steven Left for continuing to encourage me.
Lauen McCracken for teaching me so much about working in watercolor and encouraging me to take chances.
I could continue to list many more people.
I would not be the artist or the person I am today without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ShanikaFineArts.com
• Instagram: Kenneth Shanika
• Facebook: Kenneth Shanika Artist, Kenneth Shanika
• Youtube: Kenneth Shanika

Image Credits

Kenneth Shanika