Today we’d like to introduce you to Volta Voloshin-Smith.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was drawn to art even as a kid – face glued to the TV watching the latest Sailor Moon episode. I remember feeling so proud when I learned to draw the characters, and the more I did it, the more it looked like them!
But many people are raised around cartoons, what makes my story any different? I was born in a small country in Eastern Europe – Moldova – which, during the early years of my childhood, was still a part of the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union collapsed, our television channels exploded with color. Powerpuff Girls, Sailor Moon, and so many more. It was like opening the curtains to a new world. With art, I could recreate that world! It was magical – and I was hooked.
Then in 2002 my parents and I migrated to the States and in 2011 I finally found my home in Dallas. Despite my passion for the arts and heavy pursuit of it in high school, my educational background includes attending 2 business schools. Regardless of that, I always found myself engaging in side hustles that were creative career focused: I had a photography side gig, I painted note cards, I designed theater sets for a high school.
Last year, my husband and I downsized to a one-bedroom apartment and started sharing one car. The reduced budget allowed us to leave our corporate jobs and pursue our dream careers. Now I am working to achieve my dream of being a full-time artist. While the transition hasn’t been easy and the journey has been filled with lots of setbacks and disappointments, I am so happy with my new life, because I finally get to do what I love for work.
Please tell us about your art.
Primarily, I am a watercolor food illustrator. I also incorporate other mediums to stay creative and find new ways to represent otherwise traditional watercolor. Often, I will venture into motion art and design. I’ll use image manipulation software to make watercolor dance across paper, emphasizing the inherent fluidity of the medium, as well as make the art more appropriate for our modern dynamic, digital sensibilities – I want my work to make my audience feel happy.
My audience’s happiness generally informs my approach to art (watercolor or watercolor motion art). My art is very colorful and vibrant – it makes me feel like I did when I was child seeing a new colorful world unveiled. A feeling I want to pass on to those around me, to help them smile, feel a little better, a little uplifted from the daily grind. Injecting my art with humor and a positive message is paramount to me, because I want to be everyone’s cheerleader in their creative journey.
My Artistic mission is sharing the message anyone can be creative. Engaging in creative activities can enrich our lives, make us happier and provide a moment of relaxation. Helping others enrich their lives through creating their own art is the soul of my art. It’s why I love illustrating food. Food is such a common and constant part of our lives. I hope to inspire community and to inspire others to make art as well. People all share the same insecurities about their art. They don’t feel like they are good enough, or they are afraid of criticism. We can break through those fears by forming bonds with our fellow humans and sharing our fears. And I can’t think of a better way to bond with someone than sharing a meal or a snack.
Watercolor is my preferred medium. It’s is very portable, affordable, and easy to start. It’s also why I started my Instagram series of #ColorSnackSunday – to share short and easy, beginner-friendly, tutorials for people to do in their free time to break away from the rut.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
To feel less lonely, step out of your comfort zone and get out there. Artists, myself included, often identify as introverts – after all, we spend a lot of time by ourselves building a body of work… And as an introvert, it is automatically that much harder to make connections because our modus operandi is to stay quiet and shy away from doing extraverted activities.
But in order to find deeper connection and fulfillment in our work, it is imperative for us to connect to our community and exchange ideas with other artists. Attend local art meet-ups. Connect with fellow local artists on Instagram and get proactive about going on coffee dates to get to know them. Organize a sketch crawl where you go to a few coffee shops or restaurants with your sketching supplies for a fun lunch.
Attend art nights such as the ones at Cedar Art House where you can bring your current art project and interact with new local artists in a fun and relaxing environment. Maybe start a podcast, like the Creative Bits Podcast, which I started with an art friend. You’ll be surprised how many similar like-minded creatives you can find by just showing up and putting yourself out there.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see my work online on my website (www.colorsnack.com) or Instagram (@colorsnack) where I share my work regularly. And you can support my work by sharing it, engaging with it, and of course hiring me to work on a commission for you. Aside from motion design and food illustration, I also do private and public workshops where I share watercolor nuggets in a friendly and encouraging environment.
Contact Info:
- Address: Cedars, Dallas, TX
- Website: http://www.colorsnack.com/
- Email: volta@colorsnack.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colorsnack/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colorsnack
- Other: https://www.skillshare.com/r/profile/Volta-Voloshin-Smith/1431669
Image Credit:
Photos by: Gerald Ruperto & Volta Voloshin-Smith.
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