Meet Shannen Mythen | Artist

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

Hi Shannen, how do you think about risk?
I think of risk as an essential part of life. I see risk in my life from both a personal and professional perspective. Personally, I have taken many risks to get to where I am today. I made the decision to be in a 4 year long distance relationship with my now husband and then move to California from Ireland to spend my life with him. These decisions can be seen as major risks that were difficult for people outside of the situation to understand but when you think about it, isn’t every decision we make essentially a risk? I now know that our relationship and life has benefitted massively because of that huge risk that we decided to take. It has given me the opinion that the greater the risk you take the greater the rewards you reap and this frame of mind has impacted my life path ever since.

On a professional level leaving my teaching career to become a full-time artist was the scariest risk that I have ever had to take. Replacing financial security and a 40-hour week with financial uncertainty and working around the clock seven days a week. To some this risk might seem unwise but for me not taking this chance on my dream profession meant risking never having a truly fulfilling career. I also take risks on a daily basis in my practice choosing what colors, styles and mediums to work with. Risks and decisions are all about weighing up options, benefits and detrimental possibilities. When you take all of these factors into consideration you can make a calculate risk that is justified and therefore should not be as scary. Risk has a reputation of being dauting and for that reason can be intimidating for a lot of people. Risk takes courage, passion and focus that not everyone will have but there are so many rewards out there to reap for those risk takers.

“If there is no risk of failure, there can be no success” – Sadhguru

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Art has always felt natural to me and I have always been sensitive to color and placement even from a young age. I am a self-taught painter but I come from a family of painters so it was always a big part of my life. I love how society is accepting self-taught artists more and more each day as we realize that the true meaning of a painting is not how you were taught o paint it but rather what story, feelings and meaning that piece holds. Although painting has come naturally to me, I have had much to learn elsewhere through this career path.

Starting your own business is far from a smooth road for just about anyone, especially at the very beginning. During those first few weeks, months, years you are faced with new issues and situations to resolve that you may never have come across before in your life. Every day is a school day when you set up a new business but as long as you can be open to learning the tough lessons and adapting along the way it is worth every minute. It is a journey that I was not fully prepared for to be totally honest but I would not change a single piece of it. Your worst days are the days that you learn the most and it is how you react to those tough days that will lay the path for your business.

People might have a notion that being a professional artist simply means you paint all day every day, I do not think I even fully understood how diverse my role would have to be at the beginning. During a typical day, I have to wear many hats, I am indeed an artist but I am also the social media manager, the photographer and videographer, the accountant, the secretary, the marketing manager, the creative officer and the sales rep. As a stereotypical right-brained artist having multiple roles and switching my focus throughout the day works well for me and keeps me engaged. As my business grows, I will enjoy delegating these tasks to expertise in each area and building out my team.

My work can be broken down into paintings, commissions and murals. My artwork is mixed media on canvas or wood. I use a mix of acrylic paints, oil paints, alcohol inks, oil pastels, metal leaf and epoxy resin on stretched canvas and wood panels. My past work is full of bright colorful pieces but I am making a shift towards a more muted pallet now with a hint of color. A lot of my artwork is inspired by Irish landscapes as I find this such a personal source of energy and power for me and many others.

Commissions are when a customer contacts an artist looking for something specific to their needs and works with the artist to create the perfect piece for them. The artist will work with the client to create the perfect color pallet, size, layout and aesthetic to work in the client’s space. Most of my work are commissions as I love to work with the client to create something unique and fitting to their area that they will always have a special connection to.

Murals are generally large-scale art painted directly onto a wall, door, floor, window or just about anywhere you can apply paint. I paint murals for businesses, vacation properties and homes. Logo murals are a very popular ask for businesses and kid’s bedrooms are another popular demand. Murals excite me as they can be a very large scale, they make an immediate impact and I get customer feedback in the moment as they see my progress.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Del Mar – Jakes and beach Coronado – The del
Pacific beach – beach, catamaran and Kate sessions park
La Jolla – Dukes, seal beach, kayak
Downtown – Miguels, morning fish market, seaside village
Little Italy – civico
Torrey pines golf course and gliders view point

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Another risk-taker and soul sister of mine, Aisling Meanie. Currently traveling the world while creating her own business as a virtual assistant. I am so happy that our paths crossed, her instagram is @amvirtualservices.

Website: https://shannenmythenart.com

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannenmythenart