Abstract Gymnast: How I balance School, Gymnastics, and a Painting Career.

K'Aniyah: Second Grader 

In Conversation with K'Aniyah, painter and owner of Sairyah's Swirls.

"Many times I paint in swirls before shifting the paint to cover the canvas"

When did you first know you loved art ?

I knew I first loved art when I first tried it with my mom. The first time I loved doing abstract fluid art was when my step dad T showed my mom and I how to create the fluid art that he was creating.

What inspires you when sitting down to paint/draw ?

Colors are my inspiration. Each color mean something to me or the person that my custom orders are being made for.

What does your process look like? Techniques, Typical time length to finish a piece, etc.

My process involves me gathering all my materials which include, the canvas, paint and cups.Next I hand pick the colors for my canvas. The colors are handed picked based on what a customer might request request whereas my freestyle paintings are just three random colors.I began by pouring the paint in cups either in a layer or in individual cups. After that I pour the cups of paint onto the canvas allowing them to sit upside down until all the paint has been released. I then remove the cups and begin to tilt the canvas side to side, up and down until the entire canvas is covered. Once the entire canvas is covered I place the canvas on a rack and allow it to air dry for about 8-12 hours or until finished depending on how big the canvas is.

What challenges have you found on the business side, both positive and negative? (money, selling, networking, etc)

The positives would be helping people find the right painting that fits them because

occasionally people struggle with deciding which painting they would like to purchase and

take home with them. The negative aspects of the business would be the negative comments

from people. I also like to be in the front at vending events but that doesn’t always occur so,

it adds a little frustration to the process.

How do you balance your time as a student and an artist?

Balancing out my week with being a student, artist and gymnast isn't as hard as it seems.

On Monday and Wednesday I go to gymnastics after school. On the weekends, from Friday

to Sunday I am an artist making beautiful creations and selling my work.

What are your next steps as an artist?

My next step is creating merchandise. I will be putting my creative mind to work and applying designs to clothing items, phone cases, coasters, tables etc.

Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I would love to be living in California with my family, selling paintings and

other merchandise while watching all my dreams unfold.

Are you planning on going to college, if so would you major in art?

If not, what else is it that interests you?

When I go to college I will major in either Art, Psychology or Science. I am not sure which field just yet but I have time to think about that.

What aspects of art are you interested in exploring next?

I am interested in Animation, Architecture, and Calligraphy. These are just a few aspects

of art that i would like to explore as time go on and i learn more techniques.