Check Out Vala The Artist

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vala The Artist.

Hi Vala, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My interest in art began at a young age, around the age of 4 my grandmother began encouraging me to make art. My grandmother was a painter, and her brother and my uncle was a photographer.

Neither had a day job or career out of their art but were passionate about it nonetheless. I felt I always had an innate ability in art, perhaps it was because of my grandmother. I was lucky enough to spend most of my early childhood under her care while my parents were away for the day. I had a rough upbringing, family members who had severe untreated mental problems, enablers, and drug/alcohol abusers.

My grandmother was one of the only normal people in my life and immediate family. As I grew up, I always enjoyed art. Once I was a teenager I began to compulsively draw and practice art. I had socialization issues growing up in a dysfunctional family and drawing was one way to be productive, and feel I achieved something or was working towards something as the rest of my life fell apart. It was something that I felt, defined me as well, it was important to me.

I had very little autonomy over my own life and this was something that I could choose to do. While my mother was hateful and never supported anything I did, my grandmother supported my interest in art as well and once I was very serious about this in high school, those teachers did as well. I remember in middle school, in the mornings when I would sit in the cafeteria before classes started, one of the staff members of the school would walk by and compliment me on whatever I was drawing.

One day, she said she had seen some pencils on sale and thought of me, she gave me my first set of drawing pencils and watercolor pencils. I don’t remember her name, but I think of her sometimes to this day. My AP Studio Art instructor Mr. Mason is essentially responsible for helping me get into college, reminding me to take my SATs, and helping with college applications. Always encouraging me to try new things with art.

Once I left home, I struggled. I had never been taught how to survive and live on my own. My mother did not want me to do that, and she tried to set me up for failure if I ever did leave her. It was hard, I struggled financially and mentally for a very long time. Eventually, I got it together at least to where I’m at now and I have a day job in tech and my own little art business on the side.

My mother said I would never be important, make it anywhere, be successful in any capacity, and that before I was 30 I would be dead in a ditch on the side of the road… Well, I’m 32 now and I’ve made it a goal to continue living just to spite her and make her angry for the rest of her life. I will set out to do everything she said I never would and I think I’m doing pretty good so far.

She also said I never would finish college, so I guess I need to go tell my university to take my two degrees back.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Never, unfortunately. My childhood was hard, early adulthood was difficult. I was always working and always in school full-time. At one point I had three jobs and went to school full time, I think for one year when I was working a lot in particular I may have slept 2-4 hours a night at most. No time for homework or anything else. I had no security blanket or family to fall back on. While I have some extended family I have met in my adult years and love them very much, most of my life I have been alone.

My mother was and I believe still is a menace to society and everyone she is near. I don’t even know the full extent of all of her issues. Untreated and undiagnosed mental issues mixed with methamphetamine use at least to start. My father was an enabler and never stood up for himself or his children. I would go along with whatever my mother wanted to make her happy because she was violent when she was not and everything would be made into my problem. In turn, I unfortunately became a people pleaser before I finally had enough and became the assertive b*tch I am today.

Because of all of this, I have had major depressive disorder and other illnesses for over 20 years. It never goes away fully, but it does get better with treatment. But even then it comes and goes. I have accepted at this point it is a part of me, and I try to use it to help me create emotional or perhaps odd pieces of art.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
That’s tough to say. I mean mostly portraits, with perhaps a bit of a dark and psychedelic twist. I’m not entirely sure what category the art I make would fall under really. .. I usually use Acrylics predominantly, but I do also utilize a lot of mixed media as well. I always try to find weird paints or things I can use to make my art pop a bit or just be that much more exciting or fun to look at.

I find people to be interesting and conveying emotion through the human portrait or their body to be something that I emotionally connect with. I think I want people to feel something when they see my art, even if it is a “What possessed you to make… that?” or “Why would somebody paint that?” I think those reactions point to me doing something right in that sense… but perhaps not. Maybe I’m just a little off in the head.

In a way, I’m proud people have those reactions when they see my work. I want it to make them uncomfortable. I feel uncomfortable every day as I live my life, not quite knowing where I belong or how to fit into certain spaces. What is it that Cruz said? “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable?” I think I have to agree with him there, and I think my art is at least good at making people uncomfortable.

We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am allergic to red wine and curry.

The person I spend the most time with is my cat, Leonardo, he spends so much time with me when I’m working I call him my art studio manager.

I work on computers for my day job to afford art supplies.

Pricing:

• $50 for any art consultation (custom art, handbags, wallets, business card designs, etc literally whatever you can think of)
• Custom-painted or bedazzled handbags and wallets start at $75 and go up
• Mini paintings start around $35-40 and go up
• Large paintings (16×20) start in the $500 range and go up from there based on size, complexity, framed or not, and type of paint and materials
• $5 stickers, $35+ ready-to-ship shirts, or custom shirts

Contact Info:

• Website: https://valatheartist.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valatheartist/?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM%3D

Image Credits
Joe Farace