Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Monteverde.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always gravitated towards creating things, especially drawing and painting, and coloring. My grandfather, Ernie Patton, is an artist in Memphis as well, so I think I inherited some of his artistic traits. His paintings can be found all around town in places like the commissary, central bbq, half shell, and others.
Growing up, I didn’t consider art an actual option for a career, but while in my first art class in college, I did a report on Lulie Wallace (an artist out of Charleston, SC) and how she was turning her art into a successful business. Still, I didn’t give myself permission to vocally dream that I could travel down that path… especially without fear, disappointment, failure.
My art career started with a friend asking me to paint their dog, which turned into hundreds of dogs painted on commission over the next few years after graduating college. Dogs turned into houses, portraits, anything under the sun that people wanted me to paint, but I was drowning in the commission work and my artistic integrity was being smothered. I was overwhelmed with all the things I wanted to paint but didn’t have the time or capacity for because of this long list of commissions that I had no interest in painting.
I’m so thankful for the kind people who I got to paint for, but it was time for a change. I prayed a lot during this time, just trying to figure out what He wanted me to do. He had always been calling me to art, so at this time all the other options outside of art were off the table/too broad to consider. I think for a long time I didn’t pursue art because all I saw was fear and that meant it was wrong. But now I know the only way to make art is to walk through fear, there’s no way around it.
I reached out to Lulie Wallace (the artist I did the report on back in college) for guidance, just a shot in the dark. And she came back with the encouragement I needed to step off the ledge into the uncertainty of painting what I wanted to paint. Around this same time, I came across The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron which also helped me a ton in understanding the creative life.
So for the past year or so I’ve painted what I wanted and it’s been very terrifying and uncertain and incredibly freeing and authentic and I wouldn’t have it any other way, of course, it helps when people take interest in what I’m painting, but I try not to let that go to my head or alter my creative direction and decisions. My job is to listen to my gut and keep walking through the door of fear to make the art that feels like me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been smooth!
Some of the struggles along the way:
– Saying no to people (commissions) felt selfish.
– Saying yes to me (what I wanted to paint) felt selfish.
– Painting what I wanted to paint, not knowing if it would sell, felt irresponsible.
– Love/hate relationship with Instagram.
– Making a website was overwhelming.
– Getting hung up on finding my “style” instead of just painting to paint.
– Painting even when you don’t feel like it or you’re filled with fear.
– Fighting doubt when paintings don’t sell.
– Many more things…
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love to paint acrylic on wood panels.
I’d say I’m most known for my fruits/still life paintings. I’m probably most proud of the large orange paintings that I’m getting ready to release. I’m proud of these because they were my biggest series yet… I’m not a marathon runner or much of a runner at all, but these felt like a marathon for me, so I was proud to build a collection this large in size. I was patient as I can be (I’m not patient) and dug deep and hopefully grew some new muscles.
Maybe the thing that sets me apart from others is that I can just paint a lot of different things.. and I do. Maybe I will hone in more closely on certain subjects as I go along. But maybe then I won’t!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Don’t waste your time worrying about everybody else and what they’re doing.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@shelbymonte.com
- Website: www.shelbymonte.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelbymonte_art/
Image Credits
Stefanie Rawlinson, Molly Clisham
