Meet Srimoyee Acharya | Painter and Founder of Srimoyee Handmade

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

Hi Srimoyee, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m the first generation daughter of South Asian immigrants. I was born and spent my early childhood in New Hampshire, then moved to Texas, and have lived in California for the past thirteen years. My parents grew up during a time when passions weren’t prioritized and sacrificed a lot to move to the states. Because of what they went through, they have always been supportive of me and my passions, and when I told them about Srimoyee Handmade, they were one of my loudest supporters. I feel really blessed to have a family who supports my creative dreams, I know a lot of people with my background don’t necessarily have that luxury. I also had a lovely childhood in New Hampshire, where I spent a lot of time outdoors. That gave me a passion for wildlife, which has informed a lot of my artwork.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Joy is something that is really important to me, and my art is designed to make you smile. A huge source of my joy comes from animals, I love all critters including ones that live in and outside the home. My work is very inspired by pets as well as the diverse array of wildlife right in my backyard. I love using bright colors and spend a lot of time giving my subjects sweet expressions, which makes them really fun to paint, and hopefully fun to view! I’m also a very analog person (I love paper notebooks, calendars and have too many sticky notes on my desk), and my art is also very analog. All of my art is hand-made, I primarily work with acrylics and my style has been described as very painterly.

I’m 100% self-taught and still constantly learning. The biggest challenge I had was actually my own self-doubt. I was worried that because I didn’t have formal training, people would see flaws in my art and not appreciate it. Through the support and encouragement of friends, and through some hard work in tuning out negative self-talk, I was able to keep going and create art that felt authentic to me and resonated with others.
Given that a huge source of my joy comes from animals, I want to do what I can to support organizations that rescue and care for animals. I donate a minimum of 20% of each Srimoyee Handmade purchase to animal rescue groups. My current non-profit partners are Pasadena Humane, San Francisco SPCA, Trap Dat Cat in New Orleans, Feral Cat Coalition in San Diego, and Mercer Animal Rescue in Chicago. To date, Srimoyee Handmade has donated >$5000 to animal rescue, and I feel proud that my art can help make a difference in the lives of all the animals that these incredible organizations 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 live in Altadena and have a soft spot for the San Gabriel Valley. I would start with a hike at Eaton Canyon, followed by a great meal at Golden Deli (I love this place so much, when I used to live in San Francisco, I would literally rent a car just so I could drive to Golden Deli and eat their rice plate with grilled shrimp and eggroll). While I love my neighborhood, one of my favorite things about living in LA is that you can drive a little bit and be in a whole other world. Over the week we would visit Eagle Rock and go to my favorite plant store Folia Collective, head over to Highland park to grab coffee at Civil, and then grab my favorite sandwich, the Raymond from Breadlam in the Arts District. We would end the week with a chill nice day at Dockweiler Beach, one of my favorite “chill” beaches here in LA!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my husband Aneesh. Aneesh and I have been together for 10 years, and he has always pushed me to be the very best version of myself. When we were first dating, I had just started running, and I saw a signup for a half marathon. “Do you think I can do it?” Aneesh gave me an “absolutely”, was my biggest supporter, and I surprised myself by completing not one but two half marathons. He has been the exact same with other goals that seemed lofty or impossible, the latest being my small business Srimoyee Handmade. I remember when I first told him the idea he said “this is so YOU, you HAVE to do this!” Aneesh has been there by my side on late nights, long market days, and has always been my sounding board when I feel lost. His encouragement has been key to my discovering and cultivating this authentic and fulfilling role as an artist and small business owner, and I feel so blessed to have his support.

Website: https://www.srimoyeehandmade.com/

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