SHILPA SRINIVASAN

Shilpa Srinivasan is a young visual artist and bassist. Her artwork has been recognized by musicians such as Daughter and Laurel. In her freshman year of high school, she started playing bass with School of Rock and has continued to showcase her plucking skills ever since. Shilpa chose Pike Place Market as the place that sparks her creativity.

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How does Pike Place spark your creativity?

Well, I really like to paint people so I thought about where I usually see a lot of really interesting people from different backgrounds with different stories. Pike Place Market is so diverse so I figured that it's a good place to spark your creativity.

When did you learn how to play bass?

I started playing bass when I decided to do the trial lesson at School of Rock, like just for fun. It turned out I actually really liked playing bass so I just ended up playing all the time and practicing really hard and getting better I guess. That's when I really fell in love with playing.

Have you always been artistically inclined?

I would think so. Art of all kinds really interests me. I've been drawing ever since I was little, I went through a phase where I was dancing a lot, and I just really like being creative. I love art and expressing myself.

Why did you decide to join School of Rock?

I honestly don't know. I saw an ad for it in a magazine and I thought it looked cool. I had always wondered what it would be like to play bass because I like the sound of it and they have free trial lesson so I was like, why not.

What is your guilty pleasure TV show?

Okay so, I tend to watch really random Netflix documentaries that I find. Sometimes if you get really deep in your search you can find weird stuff. Also just anything that's really weird on Netflix. I'll find these badly made movies with no budget and, you know, they're so entertaining. I basically love anything where you feel like you're watching a trainwreck but you can't look away.

Do you have a musician that inspires you?

I don't know. Um, there are a lot of women in music that I just really admire. Like, one of them is Fiona Apple because I relate to some of the struggles she's had with body image and stuff. As a person she's just really inspiring and her music is the same way for me. I also find that the punk rock feminist musicians from the 90s really inspiring with all their female empowerment. I really admire their confidence and assertiveness.

What does your artwork usually represent?

I just find people so interesting. I feel like everyone is so unique and beautiful in their own way. I don't know, I guess that's why I like painting my friends. I like to capture how I see them. I just feel like painting is a really intimate and expressive way to do that.

How often do you work on your art or music?

Really whenever I have free time. Sometimes school can be a little stressful so I don't paint as much, but I definitely practice bass every day for a few minutes. Even if I'm playing something stupid, at least once every day. I don't know, I guess I draw all the time on homework and stuff, but putting aside time for a painting is sporadic. It really depends when I have free time and when I feel like working on it.

What's your favorite subject in school?

Um, this year I took Geology which I found really interesting because I’m really into environmental science. In general, I really like Language Arts because I like to read a lot. I also find certain Social Studies classes pretty interesting as well.

How would you define your art style?

Well, I like to do realistic portraits but incorporate some form of surrealism into it. So, you know, using wild colors or having crazy textures and stuff.

What has been your favorite show to play at?

I did a Rush show and I really liked it because I just loved their bass lines.

How do your experiences impact your art?

I feel like every year I learn a lot about myself and a lot about people around me. I think that my art is just a way for me to express how I see the world and how I see other people. I don’t know, I guess that changes as I learn more about myself and the world.

Dogs or cats?

Cats!

What is your favorite dessert?

This is a really tough question. I love sweet drinks. Like I really like really good hot chocolate or really sweet coffee. I also just love chocolate. Dark chocolate though, not white or milk. I also like anything with apples or strawberries too.

Do you play any other instruments?

I used to play the violin but, um, I guess I lost my passion for it after a while. I don’t know. I had a weird year and it just kinda got lost in that. It wasn’t really something that stuck with me.

Is there an artist that inspires your work?

I’m really inspired by a lot of watercolor artists that I see. I really like Agnes Cecile. I feel like she’s really the one who inspired me to take up watercolor portraits in the first place.

How would you describe your fashion sense?

Goth with pink.

What was the last movie you watched (in theater and at home)?

The last movie I watched at home was… okay I was really bored, but I decided to watch 47 Meters Down which is that new shark movie. The girls get stuck in the cage and the, like, fall. That was intense but I like sharks a lot. The last movie I saw in theater was an Indian movie with my mom. It was very very sad.

Do you have a favorite place to draw?

My room.

Finally, how are you connected to Seattle’s art scene?

I would say that I think that I try to get my art seen whenever I can. I, um, got to show my artwork in a show at School of Rock, which had people from the public coming in and participating. I recently did art for a music video for this one band, so you know, check them out they’re called Naked Giants. I’m in their new music video. I don’t know, people ask me to paint them and I paint other people if they want me to. I’m trying to enter myself into a lot of art shows and break into the arts scene a little bit more.