My Story

Vandana nurtured her creative spirit from a young age. Growing up in heart of India, she pursued numerous forms of artistic creation: collages, fabric painting, embroidery, and even animation. Even as she went on to pursue a career reliant on a more logical mindset, that creative spirit never left.

That spark was reinvigorated for her while living in Tanzania and traveling across Africa, watching animals and wildlife in their true natural habitats. From seeing majestic leopards in Namibia to the beautiful birds of Botswana, her experience instilled a deep appreciation for the beauty of life and nature. Her photos taken there years ago continue to inspire her today.

Over time, she married the love of her life, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, and moved to Chicago. She then took time to focus on raising her daughter. But as her daughter went back to school, Vandana was once again drawn to her creative side and used her free time to delve back into art. She studied on her own and began to experiment with different mediums before going on to take classes with an artistic mentor. She also is in the process of completing the one-year mastery program at Milan Art Institute.

Her strikingly colorful artwork today reflects the vibrancy and joy she felt on the safaris, seeing nature at its freest. Using a variety of mixed media – acrylics, oil, and inks, among other materials – Vandana’s textured paintings capture the liveliness of animals and plants out in the wild. In the face of nature’s beauty, her work urges viewers to stay in the present and to revel in the euphoria of life.