Meet Sheneese Rohelia | Visual Artist & Art Gallery Owner

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

Hi Sheneese, what do you attribute your success to?
I believe the most important factor behind the progression/success of my business/brand is first believing in what I am doing and trusting the process. If we do not believe in what we are doing it will be hard for us to put our all into it and to stay at it. Further more, many people think that success is some overnight thing that happens but those of us that have succeeded have failed many times prior. The difference is, we did not or do not give up because we know that there is a process we must trust, in the process towards said success.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I first believe what sets me apart is that, I did not start this art career path because I could paint or draw. Many people choose a career path because they believe they are great at it and/or it financially makes sense. I knew absolutely nothing when I decided to do this. Medical issues and physical setbacks actually led me to painting. As a person that has always had an appreciation for art and suddenly not being able to work, it’s a desire that simply fell on me. As a spiritual person, I believe GOD put this idea to paint in me but I literally only started this to pass time. However, the first time I picked up a paintbrush (Dec. 2018) I fell in love with it and I’ve been painting every since. How did I go from hobbyist to making it a profession!? It was first me surprisingly admiring my own art, LOL, followed by the compliments from others as I would show it on social media. Then of course it was the offers to purchase my work. WOW! Obviously a lightbulb went off and I thought, I really love this and I can make money so why not go a little deeper and move a little differently. A month or so in, I noticed my own artistic improvements, I connected with other creatives on Instagram, created my website and started looking for art shows to be a part of. This was absolutely SCARY and of course challenging but I rarely have ever let fear stop me from moving. I overcame my challenges by doing it scared. I also created for myself a sort of tunnel vision so that I would not be distracted or discouraged by such amazing artists that I would now see. I began to look at them as inspiration instead of wondering if I could ever cook when I felt was so great! The more that I stepped out there, the more I learned, the better I got and in turn the more my confidence grew. At the end of the day, I want the world to know that the only reason I am here is because death experiences, literally BIRTH my purpose to paint. I am here because I know that I’m supposed to be here.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I have a best friend staying with me, I would first ask if there were any specific things they wanted to do. I know any best friend of mine would love to eat, so we would definitely check out some of the best top restaurants with great food, drinks, vibes and energy to start. From there, we would go hear some live music and possibly enjoy more cocktails. A complete Spa day would definitely be on the list of activities. A day at home just relaxing and reminiscing, maybe taking a swim and hanging out in the hot tub. Finishing the evening with a nice meal at home and catching a good movie. My best friend would never want to come visit me without wanting to visit my art gallery and I would definitely want to make that a fun and memorable of experience so a paint session with all the bells and whistles would be setup including A large canvas setup, something that we could do together that would be our piece.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are many individuals that have contributed to my growth and success. However, I would like to give special shoutouts to first my husband for believing in me and pushing me, he is absolutely my biggest supporter. Shoutout to Electra with Dream Aloud and RTA (Respect the Artists), Sadie Pegues-Hall, Editor and Chief of Meet The Women Behind The Business Magazine. These are incredible individuals that saw greatness in me before I saw it for myself. I cannot go without mentioning the many that have purchased my pieces. I appreciate everyone that shows me love but it’s honestly another level of gratitude when people invest in your art. Lastly, none of this would be possible without God giving me the gift and the will to nurture it! I’m truly grateful!

Website: Sheneesespieces.com

Instagram: Sheneeses_Pieces_Art

Linkedin: Artist-sheneese-rohelia

Facebook: Sheneesesart

Youtube: @sheneesespiecesart