Nithya Swaminathan, Artist and Teacher, Nithya's Art Studio
I am a representational artist with a passion for painting from life. I paint modern still life, landscapes and figures using oils and gouache paints. I have been painting professionally for about ten years now, and my art is held in private collections worldwide. I started as a self-taught painter, sought out teachers later, and have spent a considerable part of the last decade honing my skills and style.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
I love Instagram for its focus on visual imagery. As artists, we love to see the processes of other artists, peek into their studios and so on, and Instagram works wonderfully for that. I also love sharing snippets from my creative life and travels on Instagram stories.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I have doodled for as long as I can remember and have been actively painting for ten years. I started as a self-taught painter and went on to take workshops and lessons from other artists. My current area of interest is setting up an online teaching platform to share my knowledge.
I envision a kind and inclusive platform that will help accelerate the growth of beginner artists, anyone who wants to train their creative muscles.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
What I love about my career and being an artist is how we get to start afresh in front of every new canvas. My creative practice nourishes every other part of my life as well. The main areas of focus in my creative career are the art itself and sharing it with others.
As a lifelong learner, I want to learn new techniques, try out new media and so on. I also want to make my knowledge accessible to other artists and provide them with a platform to learn and connect with me and other creatives.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Start with whatever you have!
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
I am inspired by everything around me - the beautiful sights and sounds of nature on my morning runs, the sunrise colours and so on. I am also deeply inspired by my children. They motivate me to be kinder to myself and everyone around me.
In a weird way, I am deeply motivated by my own mortality. As they say, the days are long, but the years are short, and life is too short not to keep moving forward!
What are you proud of in your life so far?
Thanks to the work ethic I have developed, I am extremely proud of how far I have come as an artist. From a complete outsider to the world of art (I am a software architect by the day) with no formal art education to having my art collected across the globe, I have come quite far and am proud of myself.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
I am open to all kinds of chance encounters with people. I have met some great like-minded people online and connected with them, which is the boon of technology for us. One of my favourite ways to meet people is when I am out painting in nature.
I enjoy chatting with passers-by, runners and dog walkers. People are mostly curious about what I paint and are generous with compliments.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
A solid work ethic and discipline are what have helped me the most. Creative inspiration is very fleeting, but a work ethic is permanent.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Let go of perfectionism and practice a detached attachment to your work. Today, I am proud of my work but will not bat an eyelid before scraping all the paint off if I don't like it.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
I am a huge fan of Dr Brene Brown; I have all her books and have listened to hours of her interviews. Listening to her makes me more hopeful. She wants me to be more kind, courageous and authentic.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I love to exercise - I pursue strength training and running regularly, which are very important. It helps me clear my head and gives me perspective. In addition, I love experimenting in the kitchen, and I see it as another canvas to showcase my creativity and a great bonding time for my family.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
The pandemic has given me more time to practice my craft. With a lot of time spent at home, I could spend more time in the studio and paint my heart's content. I could also embark on projects like a 100-day callenge, which was possible only thanks to the pandemic and working from home.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
Yes, I have been fortunate to have had great mentors, and I wish to be such a mentor to others soon.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interest?
Start small with whatever you have. Quantity is what leads to quality when you are a beginner, so do more and do it often.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I think people give up because they are too harsh on themselves. So, we all need to deliberately practice being kind to ourselves and be our foremost cheerleaders. I think that will enable us to get up and keep going instead of giving up.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Talk to yourself like you'd talk to someone you love!"
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success to me is taking pride in the journey, being a lifelong learner and competing only with my own past self. If I am a better version of myself today than I was yesterday, that is a success.