Hello and Welcome!

I was born in Ohio, grew up and left the bulk of my heart in a small village in the Netherlands, but kept a bit for my current home in lovely Pasadena, California. Following a very successful first show at age 5, in my grandmother’s laundry room, I made the decision to devote my life to art. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pacific Lutheran University and then made a prompt decision to go to grad school to become an art therapist.

After surviving breast cancer, and grad school, I decided that taking a little risk can’t possibly hurt and picked up a paint brush again. Making art is how I make sense of the world and all of the wonderful, warm, and wicked things life throws at us. I create visual narratives that examine relationships, depict joy, and find beauty where it might otherwise be overlooked. Often my work expresses the simplicity and vulnerability of animals in real and fantastical ways. Their stories unfold playfully both through the image as well as their elaborately crafted titles.

Currently, I use water-mixable oil paint on raw linen or wood panels to explore my subjects’ personalities in a blithe manner. With the assistance of my beloved uncle, I have learned to make the wooden frames for my paintings. Now they're all ready to find their forever homes; maybe with you.

Warmly,

Shaney