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

Hi ManonPaints, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I believe any success I’ve had comes down to sticking with my discipline and putting in the hours. If you put enough time into anything you are bound to succeed.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I came to LA for a 3 month dance intensive & somehow never left! It’s been eight years. I became a professional dancer, model, & commercial actor, all the while learning to paint on the side. What started as a hobby, slowly developed until my small studio apartment was completely filled with paintings. The more hours I put into painting, the more passionate I became about developing my skills and creating bigger and better pieces. There have been so many challenges along the way but if there’s anything I’ve learned it’s that many difficult phases lead to greater flourishing. In the time where I was injured as a dancer & broke my foot, I had many months to sit and paint. And when covid came and eliminated all live performances & training, my paintings soared to new heights. If I am ever stuck in life or not sure what to do, I paint.

Ever since I became truly interested in painting my journey has been created out of the mindset of “what will my work look like in 10 years if I don’t quit?”, “what will my work look like when I’m 70 or 80?”. I’m here for the long term and I love to see what comes from the work I put in. I have found that no matter what the discipline, if you put in the work, success will comes naturally. My most recent accomplishment was hosting my first solo art show. I was able to exhibit eight 5x6ft paintings and nearly 50 works in total. I had such a wonderful turn out to my showing & was so grateful for the positive responses I received.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend was visiting LA for a week I would take them to Universal Studios, Disneyland, Little Tokyo, Koreatown, Descanso Gardens, The Arboretum, Huntington Gardens, Greystone Mansion, High tea at Madeline Garden, Fatamorgana Gelato, The Last Bookstore, Archery in Pasadena, The Melrose Market, The Broad, LACMA, The Getty, and maybe see a concert or take a dance class! Is that too much? There’s just so much to do in LA!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My parents have always been my biggest support! They have encouraged my interests in the arts from the very beginning, provided supplies, and inspired me with their creativity as well. I’ve also received tremendous encouragement from my friends and community here in LA – I am lucky to be surrounded by so many fearless creatives in pursuit of their dreams, who are also so kind and uplifting.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manonpaints/

Image Credits
All photos are taken by myself with the exception of the 2 horizontal photos from my gallery showing. These two photos are taken by @jia_ling__

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.