AZ India

F E E L A T H O M E www.azindiatimes.com PAGE - 8 May 2019 1-844-AZINDIA Shachi Kale By Nita Mallya nita.mallya@gmail.com The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” – Bertrand Russell Arts, craft, music and dance add an intrinsic value in our inner lives and enrich our emotional wellbeing and impact us as an individual and as a society. I re- cently met Shachi Kale who is a true artist in every sense, a gem in the desert - simple and unassuming be it capturing pictures on her mobile phone or her paintings, there is a story behind every capture and stroke. Her paintings are a class apart, she seems to connect with her paintings with a deep spiritual vision. Born and brought up in Mumbai, India. She started her career in advertising and soon moved on to start her own design studio which she ran successfully with a partner. At that time she illustrated her first 3 Children’s books, the fulfillment of a long-time dream. She got back into the world of design and worked as a designer with colleges in the Maricopa community college district. She has won awards for her designs over the years. She continued to pursue her passion for Children’s book illustration and has il- lustrated over 20 children’s books , 16 of which have been published in both In- dia and the United States. She recently exhibited her paintings in her first solo show at The Hive Gallery in Phoenix, in March 2018. The show was a success with more than half of her art sold. She has shown her work in group shows around the valley and has won awards for her art created while a student at Mesa Community College, where she continues to take classes for her personal growth and her desire to explore various mediums. Do you have a formal arts degree? I studied graphic design at Sophia Polytechnic in Mumbai, where I graduated with a gold medal for my final year project. What is the medium of your paint- ing? Have you had a formal showing of your work in the valley? I love experimenting with various mediums but am most drawn to watercolor. I also en- joy painting with oils and acrylics. I use em- broidery and printmaking as well as other mixed media in my art. I have participated in several group shows in the valley and had my first solo show last year at The Hive gallery in Phoenix. It was very well received and I have plans for more shows in the future! My piece ‘ Desert Beauty ’ was selected as the art for the Governor’s Arts Awards and will be used on all their promotional and commemorative pieces. My art was also selected for the MCCCD Artist of Promise 2018 exhibition and my piece ‘ Learning to Breathe Underwater ’ was awarded one of five first places What are your future plans? I am currently working towards my next solo show which will open on June 3, at the Appaloosa Library as part of the Scottsdale Public Arts program. I am excited to have this opportunity and venue to share my art! How long have you been painting? I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember! I always knew I was an artist and have always been in the arts... be it graphic design or visual arts! What is a common myth that people have about artists? There is often this feeling that artists are vague, flaky and pursue this as a ’hobby’ or because they couldn’t really succeed at any other intellectual pursuit. (eyeroll). I see art as my calling and passion and it involves a lot of training, skill, hard work and a belief in this call to create. What is this world without art? If there were no books, music, theatre, dance, and visual art, I say that life wouldn’t be worth living! Desert Beauty Shachi

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzEwNTM=