Creating Beauty

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Shea Atkins, I live in Colorado Springs and am currently a freshman at Evangelical Christian Academy. Some hobbies of mine are playing sports, (volleyball and basketball), painting, and doing anything outdoors! I am a Christian and being in scripture is a happy place of mine. Life also wouldn’t be life without my parents, Luke and Justine, and my three siblings, Charlie, Lucy, and Craig.

How did you get into watercolors?

I got into watercolors one day while at an over night camp. At the camp you had to choose an activity, and I decided to do the water color activity. When I came home, I couldn’t stop. It was so fun and I loved exploring something I love. Art has also been such an encouragement to me. The classroom has been difficult for me because I have dyslexia. Art has always been a place that makes me feel comfortable and inspired.

What do you like painting the most?

If I had a choose, my favorite thing to watercolor would be leaves. They are simple and one touch can lead to an incredible looking leaf.

What advice would you give someone wanting to start to paint?

Advice I would give to someone who is trying to watercolor would be don’t make it harder than it actually is. People often look at a watercolor painting and think, wow, that probably took hours! And some do, but watercolor is pretty simple if you get into it. A few strokes of your brush, can lead to a simple but gorgeous painting!

How can someone purchase one of your prints OR an original?

If you would like a copy OR original, you can DM me on my Instagram handle, @watercolorbyshea. Or contact me at my email sheatkins25@gmail.com.

Lastly here is a sweet little note from Shea’s incredible momma that articulates beautifully these incredible kids.

1 in 5 are dyslexic. Some argue it’s 1 in 4. About 3 years ago we finally figured out that Shea is dyslexic. I have a video where a tutor had just started working with Shea and had her form her letters with clay and then close her eyes say them forward and then say them backward. This is the first time she had done it. I had never taught Shea her alphabet backwards. The dyslexic mind is so amazing! They are picture thinkers. Picture and tactile learners. In the classroom, which is NOT set up for the dyslexic mind, dyslexic children can seem confused, quiet and closed off. It’s because they have to work SO much harder than the non-dyslexic mind just to translate everything the teacher saying. When actually their mind is capable of more than most and usually incredibly brilliant artistically. If you are dyslexic, or the parent of a dyslexic child, you know the tears that go into each night over homework, specifically any reading, spelling and math. You know the self-esteem struggles you/your child work so hard to fight against. As a toddler Shea did things that FAR surpassed any other child, and far surpassed anything my subsequent children ever did. Her mind works in the most amazing ways. I could go on and on about how brilliant this child is. I’m sharing this because I hope it encourages anyone on their journey with a dyslexic child. Or maybe you yourself are dyslexic. There are incredible resources available. There are teachers out there who know how to teach these picture thinkers and brilliant minds. The dyslexic mind is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed. Shea, you amaze me

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