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SHELBY HACKSHAW//PAINTER
When did you begin painting?
Ever since I was a little girl I’ve been working in one artistic medium or another. Painting, specifically, I picked up in high school and have continued to practice (in acrylic and oil) as my main medium to this date.
What made you interested in painting and art?
I grew up with artists for family members, simply put. My grandmother had a luxurious studio while she was still alive, and taught instructional courses on painting and how to replicate landscape scenes etc. I remember gawking at all the different paint and tools she had in her studio thinking, “Why do you need another shade of white?” and “Don’t you already have 5 others of that exact brush?” Little did I know how individual and important each step of the process was. I was always thrilled on holidays when my grandma would give me a piece of work that she had done herself, specifically made for me. Nothing store bought was good enough for her, and now looking back on it, the amount of time and effort she put into all my Christmas/birthday presents is astonishing. My father, too, was an illustrator and could draw anything (or anyone), anywhere at anytime. I would always watch in awe as he assembled together a figure or face on a blank sheet of paper, pulling from now where but his imagination. Having been constantly surrounded by creative individuals in my up bringing must have struck the bug in me.
Why did you choose this career path? (if it is your career path)
This was never, initially, my career path. Art was always a hobby I kept close because it made me happy and I could turn to it as an escape from the realities of life. Before I was accepted into the Honours Bachelor of Art and Art History program at the University of Toronto, I was taking Political Science at Western University. I have never hated school so much. Don’t get me wrong, the university of Western is a highly reputable school with a gorgeous campus, but the program I was in made going to class everyday a problem. The content was dry, I was bored, my grades were suffering and there was no way I could ever see myself making a career out of politics and government. I completed the year, and never went back. Why force something on if it doesn’t fit, you know? Now I’m in a program I absolutely love with a GPA I never imagined I could have, going into a career that is going to make me happy every single day. I wake up for class excited about my future. I know this is what is meant to be. So to answer your questions precisely, the year 2011 is when chose art as my career path.
What is your dream job? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I wouldn’t necessarily say I have a dream job. Ideally, I would like to have a studio space where I can paint and sell my work as a form of income, and maybe one day I will have that. But until that day comes, my plan is to graduate, become a teacher, and teach art at high school level. I want to be able to inspire and help students who need to be pushed into the right direction. No one ever showed me all the possibilities and options I had to make art a career and no mistake should be made twice.
Who is your inspiration?
Oh boy, this is a loaded question. I don’t have specific individuals who I can list off as inspiration to both me and my work. In fact, I never actually learnt about the history of art until I got to university (my high school was more studio based when it came to their art department, and little to no history was ever taught). I appreciate and admire different artists for a variety of reasons, whether it be because of a technique they’ve used, their approach to a work, an artist statement explaining a piece of art, colour, subject, etc. Instead, I pull inspiration from absolutely anywhere and everywhere. I can watch a documentary on space and want to do an astronaut feature (which I’ve done). I can listen to a song on my iPod and create an entire piece based off of a guitar solo (which I also have done). If something “tickles my fancy,” I’m going to do a piece on it or about it in some form or another.
