Usha Shukla was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. From early childhood she was fascinated by the outdoors. The vibrant colors of the Indian countryside left a strong impression on her. After a graduate degree in English Literature she went on to get a diploma in Fashion Design. In 1996 when she moved to San Francisco, California, with her family, she found everything different except her interaction with nature. In 2005, after a visit to the Louvre Museum in Paris, she realized her true passion for art. She enrolled in the local community college and started her formal art education. She completed her Graduate program at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, focusing on painting.

Combining her love of nature and passion for art, she paints large abstract paintings in vibrant colors. She has a unique process of mark making. Instead of conventional tools like brushes and palette knives, she moves the paint on wood panels using an air blower. She has participated in several juried group shows in the Bay Area and has won awards. She also has a public art mural in the city of Livermore, California. Her work is collected by several local art collectors. She won the 2016-17 Clyde & Co Art Award for Emerging Artists, San Francisco and her work was exhibited in the Clyde & Co Offices. She had her solo show at Cannery Art Gallery in San Francisco in May 2017. Most recently she won the Award of Excellence at the Pleasanton Art League Alviso Adobe Show. She has been selected for a public art commission by the Alameda County Arts Commission. Soon there will be two lamppost banners up in Inner Sunset of her paintings selected by San Francisco Women Artists group.

The Sun Gallery is located at 1015 E St. Hayward CA. For more information, call 510.581.4050 or email the gallery at sungallery@comcast.net. You can also visit their website at sungallery.org

Usha's work will be on display through Oct. 28th, 2018 in the Ken Cook Room inside Sun Gallery.