Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelly Coleman.
Hi Shelly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was always interested in art growing up. I took every art class that was available to me in high school. I then went to Utah State University and got a dual degree in Art Education and drawing and painting. After that I taught in the public schools for nine years did commissions and murals on the side. After I stopped teaching, I ran my own mural business where I painted over 100 murals in public and private settings. Although I enjoyed doing this kind of work, it wasn’t as fulfilling because I was always creating and designing to appease my client and didn’t feel I was as expressive as I wanted. Three years ago I decided I wanted to get back into fine art where I could create what was in my heart and soul. I wasn’t sure what art I wanted to create so I began paining things I love, water and rain. I began to closely observe these subjects and did many observational paintings to better understand water reflection and refraction. Last spring while on a road trip with my family, It started raining and I was mesmerized by the raindrops on our windshield and started taking lots of pictures through the windshield. I then started painting these scenes and in May 2024 I had a reel on Instagram go viral with the process of me painting one of these scenes. It was amazing to me how people all over the world connected with this painting and I received thousands of comments and hundreds of millions of views. I started painting more images that represented the nostalgia of road trips and the beauty and symbolism of rain. I began shipping originals and prints all over the world including 35 states and 9 countries! I also started being accepted to local art shows and have been very busy creating enough paintings to keep up with demand.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been a bumpy road with lots of challenges. As I mentioned earlier I had a real on Instagram go viral which caused my Instagram followers to go up to 200,000. Unfortunately, it caught the attention of hackers and it was hacked in August 2024. Almost overnight, my e-commerce business dwindled to nothing because most of my customers found me through Instagram. Despite my best efforts I was unable to recover the account . A couple times these hackers tried to get me to pay thousands of dollars for my account back. Recently, I found out that my original Instagram account is back up and they are impersonating me and taking reels from my new Instagram account. They also made a website and are attempting to sell prints from images they copied from my website. I have been trying to do everything I can to get this to stop with only minimal success so far. I have done my best to let this go and focus more on local, in person sales but this experience has definitely took an emotional toll on me. In addition, it has been a struggle trying to balance being an artist and being there physically and emotionally for my four young children and husband.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most known for my rain series, my foggy window series, and my water series. Water has always fascinated me with both its visual interest and also its symbolism. My newest series, my foggy window series, depicts children’s drawings done on foggy car windows. These playful and nostalgic images connect people to their own childhood and highlight the innate desire to create without inhibitions. I am inspired by drawings of my own children and it helps preserve moments of time that are fleeting just like a foggy window.
I am fascinated by everyday moments that become beautiful as attention is brought to them. My rainy day road trip series highlight these every day moments and instead of depicting idyllic destinations with blue sunny skies like many others, I choose to focus on the journey that isn’t always perfect but is still beautiful. These road paintings symbolize my own journey through life and my desire to look for and highlight every day moments of beauty through the storms.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters to me most with my artwork is that I am depicting authentic experiences that I have a connection with, but that also other people can find meaning and connection to as well. My paintings help me heal and bring me peace, and I hope that these emotions can be conveyed though my art to the viewer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.shellycolemanart.com
- Instagram: @shellycolemanart
- Facebook: @shellycolemanart
- Other: TikTok @shellycolemanart
