I paint, because it makes me happy…

Being creative is not a hobby - it’s a way of life… Even as a little girl, I would dip brushes in paint and swirl them on canvases taller than me. During my board exams, I remember feeling stress-free when painting. Art has always been therapeutic for me.

I studied Fine Art and Textile Art at The Sophia Polytechnic College, Mumbai. After a postgraduate course in merchandising and marketing from Wigan & Leigh College, UK, I began work as a merchandiser, however, my calling was always painting. 

In my spare time, volunteering to teach art to special needs adults and children I realised I wanted to reach out to as many people as I could through art. 

Around 2015, as a mom to a toddler, it had become difficult for me to do a 9 to 5 job. My son encouraged me to paint with his friends on playdates and soon their moms suggested I start regular classes. 

For some years I taught my classes from home. I often gifted small canvases to friends and family and soon I started getting enquiries for commissioned art. 

During the pandemic, so many people reached out to me to conduct art lessons online. Art healed so many of us in those dark times when we were all at our lowest.

In 2022, I did a Government of India-certified course in Art Therapy and opened my studio - ArtnSoulbyRakhi - in Mumbai. Two years later, here I am, doing what I love best: bringing a smile to a child's face or seeing an adult paint with carefree abandon. 

At my studio, I encourage my students to paint like no one is watching. No one is judging them here at the ArtnSoul studio!

~ Rakhi