We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sindhu Pillai a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sindhu , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

It was after my children went off to college I tried few hobbies to fill the void. I felt fortunate to find out how much I enjoyed painting. I kept working until I felt truly satisfied with my paintings. After showing my works at the local galleries, I got opportunities with art fairs. The response from the audience gave me the confidence to pursue the artistic path professionally.

Sindhu , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a visual artist from Augusta, Georgia. I paint using acrylics as medium on canvas. I am mostly a landscape painter, and my work is largely based on the everyday views around the Augusta area. I particularly love the Savannah River, the Augusta Canal, the Phinizy swamp and many of my paintings are based on geographically beautiful sights around these places.

During my walks around the town, when I feel a connection to the moments I am in, I try to paint them. It is my way to preserve those moments in time. These sights catch my attention as they have some meaning to me. It could be a memory reminiscing, a story I might have made up, or a piece of my life mimicking in front of me. I am constantly amazed by the twists and turns life lays out and paths each of us navigate. I find time to record the simple things that bring joy to me and hope to share these through my paintings to the world. My paintings can be viewed at my website coloredincanvas.com. I posted many recent works on my Instagram, @coloredincanvas.

My works can be seen at the local galleries and this May 2023, one of my paintings was selected to showcase at the Hilton Head Biennale through a national jury process. I was able to showcase my works to the people in and around Augusta at the Arts in the Hearts Festival of Augusta in 2022. I was so humbled to see how people felt a connection to my work. Those are the precious moments which make me feel accomplished. I am looking forward to this year’s festival starting on September 15. Being part of the Art Communities around Augusta provides many learning opportunities and avenues for connecting with local artists and I take advantage of these events. This allows me to have conversations with other artists and drive more ideas to better my work.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I learned to paint by myself. I watched videos and read books and formed my own unique painting style. Although I love to sketch and watched my father paint and sculpt while growing up, I delved into painting at a later age. It took hundreds of paintings and many years to get to where I am now. It required patience and resilience. My family is very encouraging of my effort, and I am thankful for that.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I envision my work to lighten up another person on a day they need the most. I paint these moments hoping to preserve that figment which means something to me and hoping it will bring joy to another person. Sometimes, landscape paintings bring nostalgic memories, or serenity to a person as they find a connection towards that place and that is my goal I hope to achieve through these paintings. In these times when opinions divide people, I want to bring some sense of peace and mutual respect to this world through my art. I feel privileged to have the ability to express my thoughts through this form of art.

Contact Info:

• Website: coloredincanvas.com
• Instagram: @coloredincanvas