Meet Chanelle Colon | Artist & Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chanelle Colon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chanelle, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I discovered my passion for art at the age of thirteen, I was a freshman in high school. Ever since then, knowing I had the power to create, I knew there was no going back. I wanted to create a colorful life for myself, one where I am able to create everyday and love what I do. That’s exactly what I’ve done and will continue to do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is inspired by my life, and those around me. My paintings and illustrations represent those that have inspired me as well as moments in my life where I’ve used my emotions as fuel to create a piece. It took years of practicing my drawing skills before I picked up a paintbrush and had the courage to paint on a canvas. It was challenging and at times I did feel discouraged when a piece wasn’t turning out the way I wanted. One day I decided to “wing it” and just have fun using bright colors and I created my first abstract painting. That freedom I felt, to just have fun and see what I could create, allowed me to get out of my own head. From there my love for creating took over and the fear of messing up dissipated. If I made a “mistake” I could either fix it or start over. It wasn’t the end of the world. That mind set is powerful. Art itself is powerful. The way it can tell a story, or capture a moment, it’s a beautiful thing. I hope through my paintings and illustrations I’ll be able to create imagery that makes people feel seen.
If there’s one thing I could share with the world it would be that creating is about letting go, and having fun. I want people to see my work and feel my passion and feel inspired to create.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As someone who grew up in the city, one of my favorite places to visit is Greenwich Village. I grew up walking through the east village. There’s so many fun and cool shops through there and my favorite coffee shop “The Bean.” I would definitely take a visiting friend through there, we could spend all week going through the cool vintage shops. It’s truly an experience. People in the village are free, they express themselves and it’s a very colorful place to check out. You can find inspiration in every shop. There’s a great Japanese restaurant I always grab dinner at when I’m in the area called “Kimura”.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My art teacher in high school, Mr.B, had an amazing impact on me. He was very encouraging and supportive. He opened up my world to art and made me believe that it was something I could have as a career one day. That support, from a young age, was so impactful and it gave me the courage to work on my art everyday until I finally decided I was ready to create my dream career; being an Artist.

Website: https://www.chanellecolon.com/

Instagram: @Chanel_colon_art

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/chanelcca

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCbEPjB99U2AlxyGKm15E0wA