We were lucky to catch up with Elijah Shoaga recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elijah , appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

The first time that i felt like I wanted to be an artist professional was when I was around twelve years old. During the christmas when i was twelve, I asked for oil paints, and i eventually got them.When I first started off oil painting i was a bob ross painter like many others are. Eventually i started experimenting with other types of art, sand by far my favorite was drawing caricatures. So that spring me and my friend made a lemonade stand with a caricature stand next to it, and surprisingly I made a good amount of money. so with the money i made i spent it on more art supplies and i kept on practicing for long periods of time.Then i got booked for the black arts festival of 2019, and that was my first experience as being a professional artist. During the black arts festival i almost sold out and i felt successful. Thats the first time where i felt like i wanted to take this path as a profession.

Elijah , 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 currently 15 years old and attend Denver school of the arts.Currently the works that provide the most are oil paintings graphite drawings, charcoal drawings and caricature bookings. But what sets me apart is that I am a very versatile artist, where i don’t have one style of art, or can only stick to one kind of genre. Part of my versatility is that i am very disciplined in learning about different types of art on my free time, but it isn’t like a chore to me, it is very entertaining to me.Things that i want potential clients to know, is that i am a very fast artist, and that i can do any kind of commissions from painting to murals, to drawings Etc.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist, is that you can work on your own schedule, an when working on my own schedule doing the art is very fun and enjoyable to do.Also you make a lot more per hour you work depending on how much skill and speed that you have in art.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The particular goal for my creative journey is becoming an expert iin every kind of art that interest me.Also I would like to be more known So thak i can be booked more.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ShoagaFineart