Meet Kaneesha Worthington

Today we’re excited to be connecting with Kaneesha Worthington again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.

Kaneesha, always such a pleasure connecting with you and thank you for sharing your stories, insights and inspiring messages with our community. We’re looking forward to getting the download and what you have been up to since our last interview, but first can you briefly introduce yourself to folks who might have missed the prior conversation.
I’m Kaneesha Worthington, also known as Digital Artist- Canela Paint!

I create art that is authentic to lifestyles and stories of those who don’t typically see themselves in art spaces. My art is bold, colorful, and tells a story of beauty and resilience in the space of adversity and doubt.

I am a self- taught artist that found my passion of creating portrait art during the pandemic of 2020.
Since then I have gained exposure, formal education in digital graphic design, and owned my purpose to create.

Alright, so our main goal today is to give our audience an update on what you have been up to since our last conversation. We’d love to hear how things are going and what you are most looking forward to or excited about these days.
Wow! I’m so glad to be sharing where I am today compared to where I was in 2021 when I was first interviewed.

In 2021, I had a drive to turn my passion into profit. I wanted to see how I could market myself, do commission work, and balance my career that had nothing to do with creativity. I was working on my coloring book, doing local pop-up shops, and posting consistently on social media.

That led to burnout. I was eventually creatively exhausted. I actually took a hiatus from creating during 2022 and didn’t do nearly the amount of art I was doing prior to this. I decided to focus more on my career and get into development programs in that direction instead.

Late 2023- my world shifted. I was and still am going through a divorce. That was a toll on me mentally. Once I was settled into my new routines in Jan of 2024, I decided that I wanted to create art for my new apartment to match my pink couches! This was my moment to be my authentic- self and create something for me. I created my art piece “Consistent”. She represented growth, resilience, and strength amongst life’s ever changing challenges.

A couple month’s later, I found out about the Visual Arts Guild of Frisco through the Discovery Center-located in Frisco, TX. I saw a gallery with art and made it my goal that I would have art hanging somewhere like that one day. The receptionist, hurrying to close the center for the day, noticed me and my kids looking at the art, handed me a brochure of the art guild and let me know how those artist got their art there and other opportunities.

I signed up for the Art Guild and submitted “Consistent” for one of their upcoming local exhibits. The excitement I had when they called me to tell me they loved my art and that I was accepted to showcase at the Frisco Dental Office- can not be exaggerated enough! I was filled with joy and felt purpose in what I was doing- like God was lighting a path for me.

Since that show, “Consistent” has won 3rd place in Digital Art and Photography juried show, made it to the Discovery Center walls as a selected piece by the Frisco Public Art Board, selected for exhibit at the Gallery -Art on Main in Dallas, TX. Now, she also represents my journey of owning my passion, and being consistent in whatever I do. I am nominated for Emerging Artist of the Year 2024 with the Visual Art Guild of Frisco.

I have had the exciting opportunity to showcase all of my most recent art at the notable Art on Main Gallery, during my debut solo exhibit during February of 2025.I am so honored and blessed to have an opportunity like this that others, like I once did, dream about.

To share more exciting news, is that I have self published a collection of over 70 pieces of work from 2020-early 2024 on Amazon.com. It’s a piece of my journey and a collector’s edition (because there will be more) of my work. Titled “Canela Paint Digital Pop Art Collection 2024”

I have also self published another book “What Makes Me Art” on Amazon.com. It’s a short book that encourages readers of all ages, to embrace their unique features and what makes them art from a artist point of view.

Both books are also available to check out at the Little Elm and Frisco Public Libraries, if you are local to north DFW cities.

Other than that- I have been focused on merging my passion into my career. I am planned to complete my certification in Graphic design Spring 2025.

I’m so thankful that God continues to bless me along this journey and I always like to share how he turned my pain into beauty- in it’s own time. Ecclesiastes 3

Please visit my website: Canelapaintart.com and sign up for my newsletters to join me in my journey.

We also want to give folks a chance to get to know you a bit better so we’ve prepared a fun lightning round of questions. Ready?

Favorite Movie: No favorite movies, but I do love a good Lifetime movie or Tubi movies

Favorite Book: MY self- published books are my favorite, of course!

Favorite TV Show: My guilty pleasure is watching the dating show-Pop the Balloon on Youtube

Favorite Band or Artist: I don’t have a favorite Artist- but I do have playlist for my day and Gospel always gets me started!

Sweet or Savory: Savory

Mountains or Beach: Beaches- I wish I could move by a beach.

Favorite Sport (to watch): I was a basketball cheerleader so It’s easier for me to understand what’s going on lol

Favorite Sport (to play): No sports but, I do like to stay active

Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): I did track and cheerleading and yes, Cheerleading is a sport lol

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: I wanted to be a teacher

French Fries or Onion Rings: Onion Rings!

Chuck Rhodes or Bobby Axelrod: Who? lol

Favorite Cartoon growing up: Cat and Dog or Rugrats

Favorite Childhood movie: The Aristocrats

Favorite Breakfast Food: French Toast with Strawberries

When you look back on your life, what are three things you expect to be proud of?
1. That I surrendered my life over to Christ.

2. That I followed my heart and passion in life and not the expectations of others. I accomplish things that I am proud of and be my authentic self.

3. That I showed my children, Jalen and Zoe, that you can accomplish anything you want in life- as long as you put God in the center, be a kind human being, and be consistent in your actions.

Website: https://canelapaintart.com

Instagram: canela_paint