Congratulations to artist Shelby June, our latest Instagram winner! Shelby is a self taught, abstract resin artist based in Phoenix, Arizona who uses the creative process as a way of working through negative energy, transforming it into something positive.
Are you self-taught? What's your art background?
"I remember as a kid in elementary school going to my first art show that my school district had every year, walking through the doors and getting the overwhelming feeling of excitement and intuitive knowing/assurance that this was what I wanted. I took art classes all throughout middle and high school but other than that, I am self taught!
"I took almost every art class my high school had to offer. I had an amazing senior year and portfolio, art shows and the school district purchased a huge charcoal drawing I created. I graduated in 2015, went to college a few months later and gave up on my artwork. In 2019, I was living in a small studio apartment connected to a house in Naples, Florida and I found out my new landlord (who was living on the house side) was a traveling artist with huge abstracts covering her walls and a backyard lanai converted into an art studio. The entire environment was so inspiring and soul speaking. Shortly after I moved in, my friend and I had a paint and wine night, and I still have the canvas I created that night in my art studio today. A few weeks later my landlord moved to her summer home and rented out the rest of the house, so I took FULL advantage of that art studio in the backyard like it was my job, and I never looked back."
Are you a full-time artist?
"It's still crazy to say sometimes, but I do consider myself as a full time artist now! At the beginning, I was waitressing crazy hours like 4pm -3am, waking up as early as I could to start painting all day before I had to work again the next night. Then COVID hit, restaurants closed and I had all the time I could ask for. Since focusing on my artwork full time, I’ve created the lifestyle I’ve always desired, but I'm considering picking up part time work again to network and promote myself, plus I miss the chaos and fun of the industry."
What is your favorite medium?
"My preferred medium is acrylic and resin! I started acrylic pouring at the end of 2019 on the floor of the extra bedroom in our new rental, with just cardboard on the floor to catch paint and boxes to hold the canvas up. Money was tight so I worked on the floor for weeks until we got the house set up and I eventually invested in a table, and everything grew from there."
When did you start working with ArtResin?
"I discovered resin around the same time as acrylic pouring. I immersed myself in YouTube videos and artists' Instagram pages for weeks until I was vending at one of my first shows in Florida and a fellow artist asked if I ever thought about working with resin - in that moment I knew I had to just go for it! I like working with pours and resin because the process is so fun and beautiful. Pours can be surprising in the creation process and you can get so lost into the finished product details that there’s always a different perspective and connecting feeling every time you look at a poured or abstract piece."
Why are you drawn to creating art?
"I personally get A TON out of creating my artwork. I’ve realized the pattern throughout my life that the universe pushes me towards creating when everything gets hard and I need a healthy way to transform negative energy into positive. My artwork has saved me in multiple ways, it’s become more so therapy. I am constantly working through thoughts, hard feelings, healing past and current traumas, creating my mindset, etc., every day in my studio. There are days I lose myself and emotions go crazy and there are also many days that I find my true, authentic self and more than I was even looking for. My work is a lot of self discovery, self love and personal growth right now, which is a huge reflection of my life the last year and I believe will be for the next few. I aspire to inspire others with this energy and to direct this light and love into their own life. I am also aiming to inspire others that have come from a difficult beginning, whatever it may be, that you can do whatever you want with your life and create the future life you desire if you work hard and believe in yourself!"
What does your creative process look like?
"I start the studio day off most likely with a matcha tea latte and journaling at least 5 things I’m grateful for to get the mindset in the right vibe, go over my “to manifest list” (more encouraging than a to-do list), tidy up and set up. Fast forward to pouring, I select my color palette, mix medium, and do flip cup pours for the majority of my pieces and use my torch to create the amount of cells throughout the pour. Once the pour is dry, depending on the style I’m aiming for, I’ll do just one layer of ArtResin, or add gold details and coat with ArtResin for a layered effect. I also use ArtResin to create my trays with gold leaf and floral arrangements."
Where can we find your work?
"I sell my work on my site,www.ShelbyJune.com and you can find me on Instagram and Facebook at @ArtByShelbyJune."
Congratulations on your win, Shelby!
To celebrate all the amazing artists staying home and creating, every month we will be sending out a 32 oz kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram—and we'll share their work with the world!
Don't forget, tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next winner!!
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists.
