Chelsie Tamala is a self-taught oil painter based in Phoenix. She believes painting continuously has got her to where she is today. She started creating at a young age and never stopped. It was the easiest way of expressing herself throughout her childhood. Her first oil paintings she ever laid eyes on were her great grandmothers. The paintings lined most of the walls of her grandparents humble home (Chelsie’s first home) in Glendale, AZ. This had a great influence on Chelsie as they were frequent conversational pieces.
Chelsie focuses on capturing life; a moment of a feeling in time. Time that you can’t get back but can be treasured and learned from moving forward. People & nature are Chelsie’s true inspiration. She believes people are what make life happen and therefore are the most important aspect to life. She is currently working on a series of mother’s and their children in the time of the pandemic. She chose eight different mothers from her community to capture in their homes during this forever evolving time. Chelsie explores different techniques regularly to always push her own creative limits.
Daily life in its natural state has a large influence in Chelsie’s art. Life as it is raw, untouched and not staged. Exploring the infinite shapes through reflections of light and bold color is what drives Chelsie to create. She starts most of her pieces by casting bold lines and creates a loose underpainting to start. She then goes back over the piece and starts painting layer upon layer until she reaches her desired outcome. Finally, she accentuates the lights and darks with bold lines and vivid color. The physical act of painting, the movement, mixing colors, the sound and the feeling of when the brush hits the canvas has become a ritual in itself for Chelsie. Her life long goal is to be able to share her art and her vision of human connection with people all over the world.
If you’re interested in a piece on this site, feel free to contact Chelsie directly with your inquiry. She also provides commissions on a per job basis. Chelsie takes pride in every painting as they often take days to weeks to produce. For updates on upcoming shows and new work, follow her on Instagram to stay up-to-date! Check out her most recent work here.