FlameTheArtist@gmail.com
760-809-8754

Flame The Artist - 
Sholeh Ashtiani

Picture
Once she was told that her creativity is on fire, which is interesting since her name Sholeh translates to flame.


She is American in spirit, but Persian       by birth. Descended from Iran’s first democratically-elected President, Mosadeqh, she also has lineage tracing back to one of Iran’s great modern painters by the same name, Ashtiani.  

Her creativity stifled by her formal studies in computer science and mathematics, Sholeh eventually was able to follow her instincts as an Artist. She moved to Columbus, Ohio to the Columbus College of Art and Design, where she vehemently pursued her BFA.  She completed a degree majoring in fine art, illustration and photography, graduating summa cum laude.

Later, Sholeh freelanced as an illustrator and photographer and received exhibitions at local galleries. During this time she gradually developed her new direction – figurative paintings and bronze sculpture, featuring dancers and other explorations of the human form.

She is an award winning artist. Two years in a row, her figurative and cityscape  paintings hung in the Society of Illustrators New York gallery and won awards and appeared in their Annual. The last two years she submitted six pieces to the Del Mar Fair exhibition where four of them won awards:

1.“Breath of Life,” Sculpture 2nd place

2. “Free Spirit,” Sculpture Donation Award From California Center For Performing  Arts, Escondido, CA

3. “Synchronicity,” Oil Painting, Honorable Mention

4.“Wine Taster,” Acrylic Painting, Small Image Contest

5. “Danna with Tutu”

6. “Palace Dancers”

Her work is currently with Celebration Fine Art at US Grant Hotel and San Diego Museum of Art Artist guild. She had five sculpture insulations, four in Mesa Arizona, and one in Ohio Wesleyan University.Her works have been exhibited throughout the country: The Society of Illustrators Museum in the Upper Eastside, Art Expo in Las Vegas, Loveland Sculpture Invitational, Sculpture in the Streets in Mesa, Arizona, Del Mar Fair exhibition 2 years in a row. Encinitas Civic Center, Gallery 21 two years in a row, Balboa park, Ohio Wesleyan University, Hyde Park Arts Fair, Delaware Art Fair, In-View Gallery, Boolas Gallery, Carlsbad Masquerade, as well as many others.  For a while, she had her own gallery in La Jolla, Flame Gallery, and more recently was represented by Celebration Fine Art Gallery in the US Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego. She is also represented by San Diego Musuem of Art Artist Guild.

Her work has also appeared in many periodicals: Art World News, Art and Antiques, Society of Illustrators Annual: 32 & 33; American Showcase Illustration: 25 & 26, SouthWest Art, Key Arizona, Encinitas Advocate, 92024 Magazine, Ranch Life Magazine, Resources, Hoot, Downtown Mesa, Ohio Magazine, Body Conditioning, Ranch Life, and Columbus Parents. 

She has been the exclusive photographer for many performing arts organizations: Players Theatre, BalletMet, and Otterbein College Theatre Company.  Her figurative bronze sculptures were featured on “Good Morning Arizona”, the morning TV magazine. Before focusing exclusively on Fine Art, she worked as a commercial photographer providing fashion and product photography.

Sholeh is an all-around Artist. A few years ago, she began performing in local musical theatres in the San Diego area. She has performed in such plays as: Peter Pan, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Understudy, Pirates of Penzance, Guys and Dolls, Mikado, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Curtains, All Shook Up, Inherit the Wind, Sound of Music, Oliver, and Beauty and the Beast.

She has also had roles in several short films, playing a Demon in 'Lilith and the Woebringer', Princess Sofia in the music video, 'Unconditional Love', as well as extras in a number of Hollywood films, playing opposite Bryan Cranston in one scene in “Leave”. And she can be seen walking past Catherine Heigl in 'The Ugly Truth'. 

You may even have heard her music and seen her on “The Romance”, a reality show shown in many markets.  In the final episode, she is shown at her gallery reception, where she also performs an original song, “The Artist”, written for her by David Stern, a composer on the X-Factor. More of their original music is used throughout the series.

Throughout her career she has chosen to stay separate from the “who’s who” of the art world. Sholeh claims: “I had no desire to have my work influenced by, or to imitate or emulate, the work of others. My goal has been to do work that is distinctively mine, and not in someone else’s style.”

News:

  • Flame recently won three awards for her sculptures and painting at the San Diego County Fair, including the Donor's Award from the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.
  • Her work was part of San Diego Museum of Art - Artist Guild's Centennial Exhibition, and displayed in Gallery 21 at the Balboa Park Spanish Village Art Center.
  • Make sure to watch the upcoming TV show, TheRomance, where Flame's art and music will be featured.