Today we’d like to introduce you to Shana Levenson.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
The other day I found my first sketch book. I used to draw this character called Peanut Head. My brother was a cartoonist and I wanted to be just like him at the time. I showed my sketchbook to my daughter and she told me that I needed to finish the story of Peanut Head. So, obviously, I’ve always been an artist. Really, I knew that I wanted to pursue being an artist professionally when I was an undergrad in fashion design. My ex-husband and I were living in Austin at the time, and I started dabbling in painting and drawing. Actually, he bought me a watercolor kit and I painted a field of flowers.
He framed it and told me I was incredible and should keep creating artwork. Because I had an older brother that was an artist, I didn’t think it was possible for me to be one as well and kind of pushed it aside. But that moment made me realize that maybe I was actually pretty creative. I graduated in 2004 from the University of Texas in Fashion Design which I didn’t do anything with due to my ex-husband starting his training in the Air National Guard. We moved in 2005 to Enid, Oklahoma where I started painting on my own with no training. The next few years was filled with experimenting with lots of different mediums and artistic expression while moving around in the military. We eventually made our way to Albuquerque in 2007 where my ex-husband immediately went off to fight in the Iraqi War. Knowing nobody, I sought solace in taking classes at the University of New Mexico. Once he returned, I got pregnant in 2008 and had my daughter in 2009 and quickly after had my son in 2010. Feeling like I needed to still fulfill my goals, I found an opportunity to get my MFA online through the Academy of Art University while still being a full time stay at home mom to 2 young kids. I jumped at the opportunity, applied, and was thrilled to be accepted. I eventually complete my Masters of Fine Arts in May of 2015.
3 years later, I’ve one best of show in an online women’s artist organization, gold medal in the Allied Artists of America annual competition, been in several group exhibitions and am planning my first solo show at the gallery that represents my work, McLarry Fine Art, in Santa Fe, NM for May 24, 2019.
Please tell us about your art.
I had been creating a series of stories of me and my children. My latest painting of this group is of me holding my daughter in silhouette. This painting is kind of a goodbye to this series of work. Inside the silhouette are gold butterflies which symbolizes me daughter who loves butterflies, and the entire background is peeled butterflies… layers of butterflies that I’ve scraped and sanded so that you almost don’t see them. The layers are my own emotional reaction to creating this painting. It’s about letting go of this stage in my paintings.
Now I’m painting a series of paintings with the figure with delicate fabrics and jewelry. I’ve been working with a local lace designer in Albuquerque and using her designs in my most recent work. These paintings have cycled back around to my fashion design background which feels perfect in my career right now. Being able to capture the delicacy of the fabrics or jewels on the skin and feel the textures of the two is a huge goal of mine. Close up, the fabrics are painted with impasto and almost look abstract, but further away, you see the pattern and delicacy of the handmade designs. Outside of focusing on the fabric, I want the women I’m painting to express strength and beauty. Whether they are looking at the viewer or the painting is cropped with no faces, the pose and hands have emotion within themselves. It’s extremely exciting to know that there are endless possibilities of where my inspiration can come with fabrics, jewelry, and design. Artists like Fortuny, who was a painter as well as a fashion designer, and Sorolla, whose work is shown next to the dresses that inspired his incredible paintings, I want to be in that genre of artistry with my work over time.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
As a woman artist, I do feel like I am working harder to try to get my name out there as well as my art seen without being told that I’m successful only because of being engaged to a successful male artist. My hopes are to bring a strength and beauty in the paintings I create that lightly touch upon issues that women have to deal with in society.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
At McLarry Fine Art in Santa Fe, NM. On my website at ShanaLevenson.com. Through Instagram @SLevenson…and through my Patreon Page, Shana Levenson. I also sell prints through the online site Big Cartel at ShanaLevenson.bigcartel.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: ShanaLevenson.com
- Phone: 5055061327
- Email: SLevenson@mac.com
- Instagram: @Slevenson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shana.levenson.5
Image Credit:
Shana Levenson
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