Meet the mother/daughter duo that tend to throw paint on anything and everything. These two indian-born creatives make art pieces in various mediums such as oil paints, watercolors, fabric paints to ceramics & art pieces made out of natural materials. Their company Paint2Paper Studios is an embodiment of everything they’re inspired by, such as our beautiful landscapes, our beautiful feathered friends and our beautiful people. Paint2Paper Studios is essentially a celebration of things that are interconnected or woven together in life – like the inherent connection between the human spirit & nature.

Tell us about the path you took to get to where you are today.

The urge to create runs in the family. Puneet’s grandmother started it all. She was an embroider, a weaver and a tailor – who inspired Pritpal to pursue Fine Arts after she finished high school in India. Pritpal then went on to completing her Masters in Fine Arts in 1989 – followed by a teaching degree in Arts & Punjabi. Pritpal has spent her whole life either creating paintings or teaching art. She passed on her creativity to her own two children – encouraging them to express themselves through visual arts.

Puneet grew up playing with paint in her mother’s art studio, and exploring the outdoors. Her passion for art & nature carried over to adulthood as she pursued post secondary education at University of Victoria. Puneet took classes ranging from Fine Arts to Geography – eventually specializing in Environmental Sustainability. Post graduation, Puneet and Pritpal decided to pursue their creative endeavors together – leading to the creation of “Paint2Paper Studios” – an online platform for both. Puneet’s artwork explores the conceptualization of space; encompassing interactions of communities and cultures with the natural environment.  Pritpal, on the other hand, is a visual storyteller at heart who creates surrealist paintings. Both creatives also handpaint Indian clothing ranging from hand painted kurtas, suits, sharara’s and lehnga’s.

Our advice for South Asians wanting to do what we do is to hone your skills to the best of your abilities. In other words, practice practice and practice. No matter what path you take, whether it be in the Arts or not, you will always need to practice so you can grow – both your art and yourself as a person. Make personal growth a way of life so you are always learning and developing your skill set. And don’t fret if you haven’t found your “style.” Finding your style in art isn’t as important as finding yourself through art.

Photo by: Ruchi Pasricha

How important is it to you to make South Asian women feel empowered? 

The only way for South Asian women to be empowered collectively is for them to feel individually empowered. And when women channel that feeling of empowerment, magic happens. Puneet grew up with many empowered South Asian women in life. South Asian women who are entrepreneurs, fashion designers, nurses, doctors, horticulturalists and interior designers. Their collective empowerment has always been something Puneet drew inspiration from as they all always worked together to create a shift in whatever dynamic they chose to change. Accepting that there will be barriers in life can help us determine how we, as South Asian women, can break those barriers together.

One barrier we are both passionate about breaking is the lack of South Asian representation in mainstream media, sports, municipal and federal governance,  fashion, literature and art. We hope to inspire young South Asian women by making them aware of their own potential. Puneet facilitates environmental stewardship and education programs through the City of Surrey to help empower young girls- this is done by helping them foster a deeper connection to nature. These programs help individuals feel empowered by grounding themselves to a place and taking pride in the work they put into initiatives such as habitat restoration. Pritpal and Puneet have co-hosted their own painting workshops with young girls ranging from elementary to secondary school. Pritpal is also involved in fundraising for programs that provide free education to girls in the rural Punjab.

Photo by: Dal Dehal

What is your personal motto or mission statement?

Be curious about the world around you, travel, explore and go through life with fluidity, creativity, dreams, love, grace, beauty, balance, elegance and transformation.

Besides your work, what are you passionate about?

We are passionate about empowering individuals who are on the spectrum. Both of us help individuals who are living with Autism, with their social and communication skills to improve their quality of life.  Pritpal works with the Surrey School District board to bridge gaps in education, social & communication skills that children with Autism may be facing. Other passions include outdoors education, learning different languages, art, music & reading.

Where can one find you on your days off? 

On days off, Puneet can be found sketching outdoors or reading. Some of our other favourite local spots are Bloedel Conservatory and George C Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary .

Photo by: Pritpal Kaur

How do you balance work, life, family?

Balancing work, life and family can be tricky. Usually, we try to prioritize and plan short breaks accordingly. It’s always helpful to have someone reminding you to step away from the easel – to take a break – to finish up chores. We do our best to follow the 2 min rule – if a chore can be done in less than 5 mins, we get it done. That way, small things don’t pile up into a huge mountain.

Stay connected with Puneet and Pritpal

Email: paint2paperstudios@gmail.com

Instagram: @paint2paperstudios