Meet Monica Bhattacharya | Artist and Art Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Monica Bhattacharya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Monica, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I belong to a business family. Before marriage, when I was in India, my family used to own a Bengal themed clothing boutique. My parents used to run the business but I was deeply involved as well, especially when it came to designing and marketing activities. I hold a MBA in marketing and also a diploma in fashion design. But my passion has always been art from the beginning. Whenever I used to get time between studies and my business work, I used to fill that up by creating art pieces. My mom was the inspiration for my passion towards art as she used to create such beautiful pieces, but for me it was more a hobby. . I got the chance to convert this passion for art into a small business when I moved to the United States after marriage. My first few years in the US were not easy at all. I didn’t have a work permit for a few years which meant I could neither get a corporate job nor start a standalone business. I wanted to keep myself occupied after my husband went to his office, so I used that time to rekindle my passion with art. I did get a work permit soon after, which gave me the freedom to start planning for a future art business venture. But I had to delay my plans for a little while as I had just become a mother to my first child. I didn’t want to compromise on motherly duties and at the same time wanted to pursue my dreams. Starting my own business from home seemed like the best “meet in the middle” approach. As it happened at that time, I joined Donna Dewberry’s One Stroke class and got enamored by this technique. I decided to become a One Stroke certified teacher and soon after started advertising for classes. Although I had little experience with teaching art, I did a good job of demonstrating my skills to a few prospective students when they came inquiring about the classes. I started teaching One Stroke painting initially with only four students in my home office space and I have never looked back since. That one class turned into multiple batches and after a couple of years it grew into a full fledged business venture. My dream to convert my passion into a legitimate art business had come true!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
If I had to define my art technique in one word, it would be “eclectic”. What I mean by eclectic is that I like to experiment a lot and my art is derived from many different art techniques. I love to create fusion pieces where I bring together my love from traditional East Indian art forms along with modern techniques and stroke work. What excites me the most is seeing my students learning and being able to apply what I have taught them to develop their own art. Helping students improve their skills and watching them grow as artists gives me enormous joy. Another thing that excites me the most is the personal stories I can bring to life through art. I have created many commissioned home portraits on ornaments lately for my clients. I have also painted vacation memories and pet portraits for my clients. As these pieces are very close to my clients personal lives and bring back many childhood memories, I get a lot of joy watching them smile when they see the finished paintings. On some occasions it has also brought cathartic tears to their eyes and made me emotional as well. It is these moments that make my days extra special.

Till a couple of years back, I was always known as an art teacher who can create commissioned artwork once in a while, but something happened that I knew would bring a special change in my life. In early 2021 I accidentally stumbled upon a post in my Facebook feed. It was a “Call for Art” by the Frisco Discovery Center. Something told me that I should try my luck with this and I ended up submitting 4 pieces for the call, all of which got selected. I ended up winning “Best in Show” in this exhibition, which took me by complete surprise. After things settled down I felt I was ready to break out of my cocoon and fly. There was no looking back now. I did win a few more awards after this but this first “Best in Show” award will always hold a special place in my heart. It paved the way for my art showcase in many shows at the Frisco Discovery Center, The art in the Atrium at the city hall, The Blue House Too Gallery in Allen as well as the Historic Cotton Mill in McKinney.

Before I started getting recognition for my art in shows, my journey to become an established artist had its shares of hurdles. I started my journey as an art instructor in Arizona 12 years as a certified one stroke painting teacher. I did not have a formal college level art degree, which was a very popular first question from many students and their parents. It took years of hardwork and dedication to establish a student base which actually grew from word of mouth. As soon as I started settling into my role in Arizona, destiny came calling and we had to move to Dallas, Texas. I had to start from scratch all over again and establish a new clientele and student base in Dallas. As I regained my foothold, the Covid pandemic hit hard which threatened to reset all the progress I made in Dallas. I had to conduct online classes to keep my base intact. Thankfully I managed to survive the impacts of the pandemic and as it stands today I have reverted to in person classes once again.
These past few years have given me some valuable life lessons that have molded me into what I am today. I have learned through these experiences that no matter what curveballs life throws at me, I should always continue believing in my talent and continue working harder. What keeps me going today is the willingness to constantly learn and reinvent myself. Life is uncertain but knowledge is forever. I feel I will always remain an art student for life!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When my friends visit my place for a week, I would take them to some of my favorite restaurants in and around Frisco. I would give them a flavor of authentic Tex Mex at the La Hacienda Ranch on Preston Road. On another day I would treat them to some good Asian cuisine at Thai Noodle Wave near Preston and 121. I would definitely take them to the best Indian restaurant in McKinney – King for some homestyle Indian food. Finally I would chill out with them at the Little Elm beach and treat them to some Hawaiian food at Hula Hut on Eldorado Road. Also I would take them to some of my favorite hangout places in Dallas like the Reunion tower, followed by a walk through Deep Ellum near downtown Dallas. That would give them a good experience of the arts and culture scene in Dallas.
One day I would make my friends experience the quintessential life of a Texan by visiting the Fort Worth Stock Yards for Rodeo shows and Longhorn parades. I would also take them to visit the Frisco Star to check out some Cowboys memorabilia and hang out near Ford Center for an evening.
If time permits we can make a trip to Glen Rose to do the Fossil Rim Safari, and if we can’t do that then visiting the Dallas or Fort Worth zoo are also great options. Shopping at Legacy West in Plano is also a great alternative if they are in the mood for shopping.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When it comes to dedicating shoutouts, there is not one person but many people who have been integral to my journey. My family gets the biggest shoutout, especially my amazing parents, my supportive husband and of course my loving children as well. I would not be what I am today without their support. From a professional perspective, I also like to give a shoutout to some of the amazing artists like Donna Dewberry, Andy B Jones, Chris Williams, Gary and Kathwren Jenkins, Sandy Mctier, Jed Dorsey, Diana Shayne, Nancy Medina, Priscilla Houser, the late Wilson R Bickford, and many more who inspire me in so many ways. Each one of these teachers have mentored me and have played a pivotal role in shaping the artist in me. I would like to give a shoutout to my students, clients and other friends on social media platforms. They showed so much faith in me and also encouraged me to try out new techniques, which I have added to my repertoire of new skill sets. Last but not least, I would like to give a huge shoutout to City of Frisco’s art program and Frisco Gallery, Visual artists Guild of Frisco [VAGF] and Visual Artists league of Allen [VALA]. I feel so fortunate to live in a place which promotes arts and supports the local artists to the fullest extent.

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Image Credits
Amit Roy Choudhury and Rossana Mao