Meet Usha Shukla

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Usha Shukla. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Usha, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes primarily from my parents, especially my mother. My parents migrated from a small village in India to a big city to give themselves and their future family a better life. The one thing that they emphasized most was the importance of good education. Though I was brought up in New Delhi, we stayed connected to our rural roots by regularly visiting our extended family. That made me appreciate the privileges I had over my cousins in the village. Being one of four siblings and my father being the only earning member, I knew the importance of reusing, recycling, and using everything to the last bit. I was always a creative person who loved fashion and art and to fulfill my creative needs, I had to be resilient and adaptable at using the limited resources I had. My mom had a sewing machine and from an early age I sewed my own clothes when I did not have access to designer clothes. I feel my childhood experiences have made me a strong and hardworking person.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an abstract artist living and working in San Francisco Bay Area with my husband. Both my boys are grown up and moved out of the house. I moved here about twenty-five years ago and now I have my own art business where I create and sell original art, art prints and accessories like pillows, scarves and totes. I also do custom commissions for hospitals, corporate offices, and residences. My brand is represented by national and international galleries and multiple art and design companies like Home Goods, Viva Terra, RevArt to name a few.
I mentor emerging artists and volunteer my time to local art organizations by serving on their board. I am also an arts commissioner with the County of Alameda. Giving back to the community has been very rewarding for me and I enjoy the company of like-minded folks.

I have come a long way and overcome many challenges to get here. Being in a comfort zone has always been uncomfortable to me. Though I was raising two kids and was living a happy family life, there was always something missing. My life was revolving around my family’s needs and schedules. I felt a need to have an identity and my own calendar. After a trip to Louvre Museum in Paris and seeing all the art and the artists, something changed in me. There, I found my purpose and decided to be a professional artist one day. I already had a graduate degree in English Literature from India, so getting another degree never crossed my mind. When my son started college, he encouraged me to go to art college and to pursue my dreams. I did two years of community college and four and a half years at graduate school in San Francisco where I completed my Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Painting. Going to college again later in life and in a different country was difficult and challenging. Since it was my own decision and I was committed, there was no going back. I worked hard and kept a balance between family and my art education.

I was taught all the classical genres of painting, my heart was set on having my own unique voice and style. For my final thesis, I created a series of abstract paintings portraying my unique vision. Art has introduced me to myself, and this is the best thing that has happened to me.

The special thing about my art that I am very proud of is my unique technique that I came up with. I have always been intrigued by how the breeze creates a constant movement of light and shadows in nature. That’s what inspired me to paint with air. Now I use different sized air blowers, including a leaf blower, to move diluted paints on my substrates mimicking the breeze moving the landscape. The final visual is pure, ethereal, and cosmic with no physical references.

Last year was a very exciting year professionally for me. I did four commissioned paintings for a big-name hotel in Las Vegas. I had a collaboration with Poetic Pillow, a company specializing in home furnishings and textiles, that landed my designs in Home Goods. I also had my first-ever solo museum show at the International Art Museum of America, in San Francisco. The most exciting and very recent achievement was that two larger-than-life 30-foot banners based on my painting were installed at the Rincon Center in San Francisco. I have two new exhibitions coming up in fall 2024 in New York and North Carolina.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I always say that my head, heart, and hands become one for the magic in my art to happen.

By HEAD I mean the importance of technical knowledge. I was fortunate to go to college and learn the skills, techniques, and color theory that were very valuable to me. For an emerging artist, I would advise exploring, experimenting, and learning different techniques. Also know your art supplies and how they interact with each other before creating a masterpiece.

HEART is my emotional and unique voice. When painting I go into a different zone and bring out my happy childhood memories and portray those on the canvas. I intend my viewers to feel the same joy I felt while painting it. For beginners, I would say remember to paint what brings you joy and not what you think will sell. Your unique voice will set you apart from others.

The HANDS part is practice, practice, and more practice. For me each painting is a challenge and I never take short cuts. I like to be patient and go through the whole process. Even though I have painted hundreds, I still go through an emotional roller coaster for each new painting until I am at peace with the final creation.

Being an artist is a constant battle of rejections and validations. In today’s chaotic and competitive market, take baby steps and be your best friend.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I have been asked many times to offer a clothing line based on my paintings. I am looking to collaborate with a fashion designer to create a high-end line of dresses and jackets. I am also interested in IP licensing my designs on clothing.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Ashley Voss

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,