Meet Giselle Ayupova | Artist

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

Hi Giselle, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Like most human beings I am happy when I am with my loved ones. I grew up in Russia and later moved to the USA after college. My parents and relatives are all in Russia. I don’t get to visit them as often as I would like to. I am happy when I get to see them in person. I am lucky to have met my husband. He is a wonderful person and despite sounding cliche, he is truly my best friend. We greatly enjoy each other’s company. I am happy whenever we get to be together. I am also an artist, I am happiest when I am in front of my easel focused on the canvas in front of me. When I paint, the outside world and all of the worries and problems cease to exist. All I think about is the canvas in front of me and what I want to accomplish. I always listen to my favorite music while I paint. I sometimes even dance to a song or two when a particularly favorite tune comes up in the shuffle. When the painting process is going well, and I am satisfied with what I have just painted it’s hard not to feel happy. I am hard on myself most of the time. The feeling of happiness from being satisfied with my work doesn’t happen often but when it does it is even more pronounced.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As I mentioned earlier, the Art Student League of New York is the art school where I received most of my formal art education. From then on it was hours and hours in my art studio that really developed me as the artist I am today. My studio is my sanctuary. It’s the place where I easily forget about everything else including whether it’s day or night. Being an artist is not easy. Art is not a necessity item. It takes tremendous work to find people who appreciate and collect art in general and specifically the type of art you do. I am an artist who loves challenging myself and trying my hand at different styles of painting. I feel that by doing that I am more open to continuously learning and improving as an artist. The downside is that more often than not it’s easier to create your client base if you narrow yourself to a specific subject matter and style. I often look at my earlier paintings done in a more traditional realistic way and wonder if my path as an artist would have been easier if I kept painting the same way. I am learning to keep listening to my inner voice, follow my own aesthetic, and trust myself in my art journey, and not be swayed by any doubts I might have. I am fascinated with color and color interaction. Color is the main focus of my work whether it’s abstract or representational. I strive to paint in such a manner that my colors are harmonious and beautiful and that they bring joy to the viewer. If I am able to lift someone’s spirit and brighten their day with my art I have done my job as an artist

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?
I live in Hoboken which is a town right across from Manhattan. It takes a short 15-minute train ride to get to New York City with all of the fabulous art museums, galleries, concerts, shows, and amazing restaurant scene, Besides its proximity to Manhattan Hoboken is a very nice place to live in its own right. The Hudson River waterfront is simply incredible. There are stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and miles of the walkway along the river. Old shipping piers were transformed into recreation areas and parks and provide much-needed greenery. One can easily spend a day taking a stroll along the Hudson, going for a meal in one of many of Hoboken’s diverse restaurants or bars. There are also places to go if you want to do something fun and creative. Hoboken Monroe Center for the Arts offers art, dance and music classes, art galleries, workshops, and small business retail shops.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give my shoutout and huge thanks to the Art Students League of New York. I dabbled in painting for most of my life starting from early childhood but it was during my time at the Art Students League of New York that I truly began taking my painting seriously and started believing in myself. I spent several years at the league studying the human form. I received much-needed knowledge and guidance on painting from the league’s instructors. I’ll forever value the wonderful atmosphere at the league and the ability to be around similar minded people who love and truly cherish art. I am also very grateful to my husband who was the first one to encourage me to take my art from the hobby level to the professional one. He continues to be immensely supportive of my artistic pursuit.

Website: www.giselleayupova.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giselleayupova/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giselleayupova