Artist Spotlight: Shoshi Bieler
If you have visited our Midtown shop in the past couple of weeks, you may have seen some new art on our walls! Those beautiful pieces are courtesy of our friend and local artist, Shoshi Bieler. Her gorgeous installation appropriately titled "Slow Happenings" is a cozy representation of the transition of summer into fall. With autumnal colors and impressive sketching, Shoshi's display is the perfect backdrop to pair with any of our fall specials.
Read on for more about Shoshi, her work, and how to connect with her beyond the shop! Also come on out this Sunday, September 13th from 1-3pm for our Artist in the Annex event at our Midtown location with Shoshi!
Tell us about what inspired the pieces for this collection?
Most of my paintings start with reading, note-taking, and writing. Recently, that’s meant lots of physics books. Over the past year, I’ve been really interested in how time unfolds at varying scales. If we consider objects, trees, or ourselves on longer time scales, would we find that we are all long events, slow happenings? This series of paintings explores that idea through still life's, tree portraits, and seascapes. What does it look like for a tree to slowly become its next self over hours, days, or seasons? How does a notebook or a cup of coffee reflect and shape and record the life lived around it? That’s what these paintings are about.
What is the medium of this collection?
All the paintings are done in oils, on both canvas and paper. There are a few collaged pencil drawings included as well.
Tell us a bit about yourself as an artist?
I have two ways of practicing art: making these more finalized paintings and drawings, and then my sketchbooks. For many years I didn’t keep a sketchbook because I had this idea that it was only for planning paintings, and I’ve never really liked doing all that much pre-planning. In summer 2025, I had the chance to take a workshop with Fairbanks artist Klara Maisch, and that got me really excited about using a sketchbook just to document the world around me. Now I usually take a sketchbook with me wherever I go, and I also use it as a space for writing and note-taking.
I first started painting in high school, thanks to my incredible teacher, Dan Whitely. Our classroom was in the basement of our school in the old wrestling practice room, and so it was this kind of strange space that had the qualities of a gym but had been turned into a studio. It was one of my favorite places to be growing up. Mr. Whitely taught me how to paint, and helped me develop a sense of what the process of painting feels like. After college, I moved around a bit and took a good number of years off from painting, until I slowly started finding my way back to it. Looking back, I really credit my four years with Mr. Whitely for helping me come back to painting after that time off, because there was this foundation I was able to find my way back to.
What else would you like to share about your process, drive or artistic journey?
I’ve always really loved writing and note-taking, which have come to be an important part of painting for me. Rather than preparatory sketches, I usually develop ideas for paintings in writing. I really enjoy this cycle, because when I’m doing more painting I’m always really excited to get back to writing, and then when I’m focused more on writing I have this sense of anticipation for picking up my brushes.
My work is representational, but I love stepping back from the subject and having fun with the world that comes to exist in a painting. This might mean playing with color, or introducing some slight abstraction through multiple perspectives or slicing up the composition. The changes are intentional, but there’s also an element of trying something out and hoping/trusting that it will produce something interesting, and I think that keeps painting fun for me.
Because this prompt has me thinking about my artistic journey, a few essential thanks: The first paintings I remember making were at a young age at my grandma’s house, where I would try to make copies of the art she had hanging on her walls. She also took me to see lots of paintings as a kid at the local museum, where she gave tours. Growing up, my two younger sisters were very patient models, letting me paint their portraits. My parents were my first “collectors” and provided me with all the conditions to love painting – including, all through high school, letting me use part of the basement as a painting space. They also provided this sense of continuity because they went through the learning with me in a way, and when painting felt discouraging they could be the ones to remind me it is something I love doing.
Any favorite Wild Scoops flavors?
Caribou Confetti or Sitka Swirl, in a waffle cone!
Any other fun facts?
Over the past few years I’ve been able to participate in some collaborations that have become a really meaningful part of my creative life. I have an ongoing project with a writer friend that we call “Correspondence;” I send him a small painting, he sends me a poem in response, repeat. It’s been a really fun way to try things and get inspired by new ideas, and I also love getting something in the mail! I’ve also had the chance to start a monthly outdoor drawing group with some friends, and it helps me stay in the habit of drawing from life and making art around other people rather than alone in my studio.
What account would you like tagged in social media posts (both Facebook & Instagram)?
My Instagram (@shoshi.bieler) is where I most regularly share updates about what I’m working on! I sell work through my website. Because I’ve gained so much from other artists sharing their process, I also recently started a Substack where I will be posting occasional reflections on my own experience of making paintings, and the discoveries and challenges of it.
Come on out this Sunday, September 13th from 1-3pm for our Artist in the Annex event at our Midtown location with Shoshi!
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