Meet Soni Lopez-Chavez | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Soni Lopez-Chavez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Soni, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from Guanajuato Mexico. My parents brought me to California as a child and Ive been living here since then. I pull a lot of inspiration from my culture and heritage. Most of my illustrations are inspired by my surroundings and childhood experiences. I try to draw things that I wish I would have seen when I was a child.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been drawing off and on since I was a child but I never thought I could actually have an art career. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I started to acrylic paint to help me cope with a brake up. I tried to put my paintings in galleries but I found it so competitive. This pushed me to curate my own art shows. I curated shows at bars, hotels, restaurants, any place that would allow me the opportunity. Later on I met my life parter and together we decided to open up our own Art Gallery. We hosted hundreds of shows and worked with artists all over the world. After 6 years of success we were forced to shut our doors because of gentrification. Shortly after we found another location but before we could open we were forced to shut down because of the pandemic. This was now the first time in my life that I wasn’t working and had nothing but free time. I decided to teach myself digital illustration since I always wanted to try it but never had the time. After a few weeks I knew I had found my calling. I posted a few of my illustrations on my Instagram and received good feedback. People started to ask for prints and stickers so I decided to launch my art career. I put all my focus on illustrating and creating an on line shop. All this while gaining thousands of followers. It took me a lot of practice and a lot of time. I had to learn everything on my own. The hardest part was finding a healthy balance with my time. Working from home is great and I love it but it also has a lot of negatives. I feel like I’ve become a super introvert. If I don’t keep and eye on this it can feed my depression. I have to just be careful of my time and keep healthy habits.

I’ve learned that I can teach myself to do lost of things. With google and youtube I can figure things out on my own if I need to. I’ve also learned that negative comments on social media are not personal. They have nothing to do with you and everything to do with the person who shares it.

I’d like for people to be heard and seen through my work. Maybe find a connection or support.

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.
I would take her on a road trip to Sedona Arizona and camp along the way. I would take her to Idyllwild California for a night or two for some off grid camping and Pizza from the town. I’d take her to Balboa Park for an evening walk and Coronado beach for a morning walk.

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?
I’d like to give a shoutout to my life partner who is always supporting me and pushing me to grow and do better.

Website: https://soniartist.wixsite.com/soniartist

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