Meet Mechele Shoneman | Sculptor & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mechele Shoneman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mechele, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
When I was in technology incubator DreamIt, one of the lessons that stuck with me was to “fail fast and fail often.” The idea was to pump all your crazy, unviable ideas out quickly in order to learn, and move on to ideas with legs.

This concept has served my art well because I’m self-taught and end up learning the hard way what many learn in the classroom. I start most projects at square one, learning through experimentation. Which means, I frequently miscalculate and watch broken pieces fall to the floor. Even though it may sound slightly irrational, it’s actually a part of the artistic process I’ve come to enjoy. I’m a bit of a cyclone, enjoying the challenge of breaking and reshaping. It’s just how I work.

Conversely, it generally takes me a while to realize when I’m done with a painting or sculpture, (though not nearly as long as it took with my small businesses). I typically internalize, wondering if I skipped steps, make unskillful choices, didn’t study my subject deeply enough. If this line of inquiry doesn’t go anywhere, I allow myself to feel lousy for a few days, eat too much candy, then try again. If I still can’t break through the wall, I break the piece (literally). My trash can is full of ideas that just didn’t work out.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Creating art is a dynamic process for me. I never stop or start from the same place. While my creative process is heavily guided by personality traits that used to frustrate me–like my penchant to shift gears, chase shiny objects, and push the boundaries of my materials–I now embrace these tendencies as part of my artistic journey.

It seems no matter how meticulously I plan and divine designs, a rebellious streak kicks in, encouraging me to wander off course. This penchant to stray is at the heart of my work. My paintings, sculpture, jewelry is flecked with elements of the unexpected. This is where I find my light, when breaking from habits and testing rules, to discover new ways to see.

I’ve learned to welcome the idea flashes that take me off course. As a kinesthetic learner, I need to feel materials in my hands and under my fingernails. Using mediums in unexpected ways brings me joy and is probably why I have been drawn to working with concrete and sculptable silver. Even when painting portraits, I push paint around with my fingers almost as much as the brush.

I constantly seek to view the world a little differently, to see things others might miss. Through my art, I hope to magnify details, perspectives, concepts that might otherwise go unnoticed or unappreciated. This drive to break through perceptual boundaries, and explore possibilities has fueled my life-long fascination with mysterious planets beyond our solar system.

I’m currently working on a series of concrete and gemstone sculptures focused on these mysterious exoplanets now. They’re impossible to observe directly. Instead, astronomers confirm their existence through indirect methods, like measuring nearby dimming stars or analyzing changes in light. This unconventional approach to exploring the cosmos appeals to me and aligns with my artistic perspective.

When I was young, my grandparents lived with us. My slightly eccentric, chronically cranky Grandfather would delight in sorting jellybeans by color during the day. The black and yellow were his; the rest were reserved for me. At night we would sit in the backyard staring at sky, eating our sorted candies while proposing ridiculous names for imagined constellations. I’m sure we named the same stars many times over, but that detail went unspoken.

I often wonder if we’ll one day discover the “observer effect” at play, where just the act of observing creates a disturbance. This possibility fuels the crazy surfaces, flora and fauna I create on these exoplanets. For example, HD 189733b is a huge gas giant where it rains glass sideways, in howling 5,400 mph winds, seven times the speed of sound! My sculpture includes imaginary flowers of deep-blue, Lapis Lazuli’s springing from its rocky floor.

Concrete is unforgiving, requiring me to work at rapid speed and make fast-brain type of decisions. If anyone had cautioned me about the temperamental, stubborn nature of concrete, I might never have poured that first cup of rocky powder. Over time, I’ve learned not to try to control it with a heavy hand. Instead, I let its unforgiving nature guide the evolution of each piece.

For me, comfort and predictability are illusions, so I embrace the unruliness of concrete exoplanets, along with my erratic process. The results rarely reflect my original plan, and this makes each piece special, as I’ve always appreciated ‘flaws’ as windows to authenticity.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We recently moved to the Atlanta area, so are still exploring. Our favorite theaters so far would have to be the Alliance Theater and Marietta Theater in the Square. We just saw two Katori Hall plays (The Hot Wing King and The Mountaintop) and they were brilliant. A walk along the Beltline is a must, looking for tiny doors along the way, and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. For a cake and scotch dinner, I’m a fan of Café Intermezzo. The High Museum, MOCA GA, Mint and Cat Eye Galleries are fabulous. And, there are so many more great galleries I’m looking forward to checking out. I’m also planning a visit to a highly recommended bookstore, Charis Books.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My massive, drooling dogs (Minnie the Pitbull and Alfie the Mastiff) who wait patiently for their walks, and my even more patient spouse who happily comes along on whatever wild ride we’re off to next. I was also lucky enough to take painting workshops with renowned artist Grace Graupe-Pillard.

Website: https://mecheles.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mechele_artist/