Art & Life with Ashwini Bharathula

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashwini Bharathula.

Ashwini, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born and raised in South India. My entry into the world of art was at age six. Growing up I loved art as much as I loved science and math and did not view them as being mutually exclusive. I enjoyed sketching popular Disney characters and mystical figures of Indian mythology while also building an overhead projector for my science project. I don’t remember doing much painting back then because with sketching I could just pick up a pencil and an eraser anytime and create something beautiful without worrying about the messiness of paints. I went on to receive my formal education in science and engineering. I got my bachelors degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. I moved to the US in 2005 and received my masters and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. One summer while in graduate school, my Ph.D. advisor encouraged us to take a class outside of engineering just for fun and I did. I audited an ‘Introduction to Painting’ course and was super excited to try out acrylics for the first time. I was still trying to figure out how to work with different textures, brushes, the mechanics of fast drying paint, etc. Unfortunately, I ended up skipping many classes as my Ph.D. research was taking up a lot of time. And I have to admit my first paintings from that course were mediocre at best. But I walked away loving the experience and found the process of painting to be quite meditative and therapeutic. After my Ph.D., I went on to work in the semiconductor technology industry with Intel Corp. and Lam Research Corp., in Portland, Oregon. Even while working in the corporate world, I had this constant itch to paint. After three years I finally took the plunge and quit my industry job to do something at the intersection of art and science. I created a youtube channel and started making science video lessons. I collaborated with TED-Ed (www.ed.ted.com) and created a few short movies as well. I also started painting more seriously around this time and started getting better at it. I’ve been painting full-time for the last couple of years now and loving every bit of it. My paintings were recently featured in the International Artist magazine, AcrylicWorks4, Southwest Art magazine and Phoenix magazine. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have my work exhibited in local and national shows around the country including at the prestigious Salmagundi Club in NYC and NOAPS Best of America Small painting exhibition in Nashville, TN.

Painting is like food for my soul, and I hope to continue to learn and paint every day and share my creations with everyone in the community.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m a self-taught artist. My painting style can be characterized as representational realism, and I mostly work with acrylics on canvas, linen or wood panels. I do realistic paintings of urban scenes, waterscapes, portraits and still life.  I pay a lot of attention to detail. My paintings are often inspired by eclectic subjects and scenes from my travels both here in the US and elsewhere in the world. I especially like to paint those nostalgic nooks that juxtapose a subject, in a moment of stillness, against a textured background. I’m drawn to bold colors, and I use the play of natural light to set the mood of the scene.

My aim is to create contemplative art that stimulates the viewer’s senses and kindles nostalgia. I hope that each of my paintings invites the viewers into the scene and makes them reminisce about experiences from their own lives and travels.

What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
I would strongly urge my fellow artists to be a member of one of the local art groups (e.g., https://azartalliance.com/member-groups/). It can be of immense help with regard to finding the right resources in a new city and also socializing, in general. Being an artist can feel lonely at times especially when you are holed up in a studio all day and do not regularly interact with other people like you would typically do in a corporate setting. It’s a good idea to take a break once in a while and go down to a gallery or a museum or even a show opening and talk to other artists and art enthusiasts. Attending and/or conducting workshops is a great idea as well.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You may visit my Facebook and Instagram pages and my art website (links shared below) to view my work. I often post progress shots of the paintings I’m currently working on. You will also hear from me about the shows and exhibitions that I’m part of. Some of my paintings are currently being shown at the Scottsdale Artists’ School’s 2019 Best and Brightest juried show and sale; Feb 21st to March 20th. I am being represented by the Fountainhead gallery in Seattle, WA. I accept commissions of paintings as well. You can send your queries to me at bharathula.ashwini@gmail.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ashwinibharathula.com
• Email: bharathula.ashwini@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashwini_bharathula/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ashwini-Bharathula-1520914468212564/

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