Meet Sujata Shakya | Watercolor, Acrylic and Gouache artist

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

Hi Sujata, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always loved drawing and painting since I was a kid. I actually have a degree in Supply Chain Management. I did not feel fulfilled with a corporate job and it felt like something was missing in my life. I’ve always been creative but never thought of pursuing art as a career. After Covid hit, I had to go back to my home country Nepal for 4 months. I took a traditional religious “paubha” painting class for a month while I was there. This actually rekindled my passion for art and I wanted to start an artistic career after I came back to the United States. I taught myself how to paint in watercolors, acrylics and gouache. I started painting realistic paintings, landscapes, people/pet portraits, florals and abstract art. I enjoy painting in different mediums and I love to teach art. When I wanted to switch careers my husband was super supportive and let me follow my own path and that made it easier for me to pursue an artistic career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I do watercolor, gouache and acrylic paintings. I do a little bit of everything. I paint realistic paintings, abstract paintings, pet/human portraits and landscapes. I am proud of where I am in my artistic journey. From learning to draw and paint watching YouTube to now painting hyper realistic paintings myself, I’ve come a long way. I’m about to start teaching art online and I’m very excited about that. That’s a new chapter in my art career. I got to where I am today with lots of hard work, practice and self-learning. I taught myself how to draw and paint. It was definitely not easy. It’s hard to make art and share it with the world. I struggled with challenges like imposter syndrome, to name one, and felt like my art is not good enough in the beginning. While making art you start with nothing, you slowly start building up the composition, your painting gets to an ugly stage where you feel like it was all for nothing. But you have to get past that and keep working on it, then and only then you get to finishing your painting for it to turn into a masterpiece. I did exactly that, I kept showing up, working hard even when I didn’t feel like it sometimes. I have learned to not let perfectionism get in the way, if you wait for things to be perfect, it will never work.

My artistic style is all about kindness, peace and mindfulness. My paintings capture peaceful moments, tranquil landscapes that reminds you of your happy place, or beauty of nature in flowers, succulents and plants.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I am in Fort Worth, I would take them to spend some time in Sundance Square, it’s a vibrant downtown area with shops, restaurants, and entertainment. The Fort Worth Water Gardens are also a peaceful place to unwind, featuring stunning architectural water features. The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth’s Cultural District is one of my favorite places. The museum has an internationally acclaimed array of works that includes masterpieces from Asia, Africa, Ancient America, and Europe. I would also take them to soak in some nature at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The Forth Worth Stockyards district would be next on the list, where the old west comes to life during the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive. There are lots of restaurants and shops in the historic district to eat, grab a drink and shop around. These are just some of the places I would take them. There’s plenty more to do!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my husband Sachindra Shakya. He is my rock and he has been so supportive of me since day one. Switching careers and starting from scratch is not easy. There were times when I felt like giving up, when I doubted myself but he always encouraged me to keep going on. He helps with the housework so I can focus on painting, takes care of our daughter when I get busy or have a commission painting that I need to finish. Even when people around me were saying that art is not a real career, he always said listen to your heart and do what you need to do. I knew I loved art so much that I’d be able to do it every day and I did just that. Without my husband encouraging me at every step, I don’t think I’d be able to be where I am today.

Website: https://suzshakart.etsy.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/suzshakart

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sujatamanandha4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sujata.manandhar.161

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@suzshakart5851/shorts

Image Credits
Cody Montes photography