Today we’d like to introduce you to Sohail Ilyas.
Sohail, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I got started late. Very late in my adult life…
Growing up first generation American in Douglasville, GA wasn’t easy. I didn’t realize it until I got out of it. The racism, xenophobia, and lack of diversity led me to constantly trying to find myself. I couldn’t channel it through art as art wasn’t really in my life, except for occasional doodling, etc… “Send him to art school”, my teachers would tell my parents.
My father – only understanding the immigrant mind frame of work hard and find a successful career – didn’t want to send me down the artist route so I never pursued it. I spent most of my years trying to figure out why I was so different and didn’t even care to fit in.
Finally, in 2009-ish, my now ex-wife told me I needed to do something more with my doodling and try making a hobby out of it. I signed up for a class at Callanwolde arts center and met my mentor, Pat Hobaugh. Two classes later, I was different. To say art changed my life is an understatement. Maybe not from the outside but the inside of me has changed completely. My newly refined, creative, neuron patterns finally allowed me to embrace my uniqueness and gave me passion. The most passion I’ve ever felt.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been easy. I was married at the time. I have two young children and a full time job. Time is already limited. Once I get past that hurdle, I’m haunted by the thing many creatives seem to be haunted by – their selves, doubts and excuses. I used a famous Andy Warhol statement as my mantra to make it past the first few years of doubt…
“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”
Finally, I’m at a point where I’m very confident in my art but still beat myself up pretty bad. It’s okay, I fight through it, I put 1000% into every piece of art I work on and push through. My biggest challenge now is time. Haven’t figured out a way to beat her yet…
We’d love to hear more about your company.
My company is So4ail – or Art by Sohail. I’m an oil painting portrait artist. I’m certain to incorporate other mediums but for now, my primary is oil. And my primary subject is portraits. Mostly in a series I call “Fxck your Heroes’. I take old renaissance paintings of colonizers, people who pushed religion as a way of war and slave owners and removed their heads off the painting. I would replace them with images of something more deserving – children, animals, etc…
I value and price my art higher than I see most pricing theirs but I feel my art is unique and worth it. I employ a longer process by first drawing on, creating a tonal painting, an under-painting and then a layer that sometimes uses a palette knife. So far, my collectors agree!
I do need to build a website though!
What were you like growing up?
I was a weirdo. One part of me wanted to fit in…it never happened. The other part wanted to go left when they went right. I struggled with that. Especially through the teenage angst years. I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t be like others. I tried so hard that I did a lot of things that disgust me today. I was trying way too hard. Luckily, I was always a goof ball and always had a big heart. That hasn’t changed. I’m finally the happiest and most genuine I’ve ever been now at the age of 45!
Pricing:
- I typically charge between $1 to $3 per square inch in a painting
Contact Info:
- Website: so4ail.com
- Phone: (404) 931-7090
- Email: ilyas.atl@gmail.com
- Instagram: artbysohail
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