Hi, I'm Shelley.  I'm the artist here at Shelley's Style.  Some things about me:  

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I'm lowkey, down to earth, laugh easily, am extremely creative and about as disorganized as you can get.  I believe art should reflect who you are at the moment you create it.  Hence, I have a lot of styles :)    Art should be joyful, intense, moody.  Afterall, art is an outward expression of an internal emotion.  

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I am a self taught artist.  I went to school to be a drafter instead of  art.  Don't feel I don't know my stuff, though.  I create every day, read, surf the art sites and look for inspiration. I'll look for a new way to lay my line, layer and tone my colors, or play with composition.  I learned my way, then I studied "their" way.  In my work and my classes you'll experience both influences.  

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I don't feel an artist should be defined by a medium.  If you can create in one medium, you can do it in another.  You just need to conquer the learning curve.   I also don't think an artist should be defined by their "isms"...impressionism, realism, dadoism.......all of the "isms" should be considered and played with when you create.  

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I don't feel young artists should copy everything.  There is a relevance to copying.  It's a great way to understand another artist's techniques. But creation should be the goal.  An artist needs to go through the growing pains to become an individual with their own "voice".  Not make pretty pictures that someone else already created.......... That means mistakes and re-creation are a part of your learning process.  A mistake is a step on your path and never a reason to stop your journey.  

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Some people want to know the personal stuff.  So for you who are interested , please read on.  

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I take my work extremely seriously.  It's my passion and identity and my validity.  That being said, I'm a whole other person outside of the arts.  I have a wonderful, chaotic family and I have a mini zoo.....2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 chinchillas and a snake.  All my students and their parents become my friends.  I always try and squeeze in a couple of social activities in between my face painting and henna gigs, my 52 students per week (that's the count at this writing, but that always changes)l, My teaching at the assisted living place, whatever commissioned work is stacked up in my living room, art lessons at the library and Senior Center and whatever paint parties I'm scheduled for.  I try to see my Dad several times a week and try and see my brother once a week.  

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I have two wonderful sons.  One is away at UC Santa Barbara and then onto law school while the other is up at the Jr. college getting his  associates degree in business management.  My husband is my great blessing.  He and I are polar opposites in almost everything and we're still going strong and have figured out how to manovour this life of opposing forces so that we're happy and we've somehow taught our children how to be happy.   I've got a great family life although it is a bit unorthodox.  

 

I love conspiracy theories.....don't believe them, but am titillated by them.  I love b rate monster flicks and will take an old movie full of tension and suspense over a new action flick anytime.  I love music and have very eclectic taste (tranlation:  I'm a spaz and like it all).  I like to cook and grow my veggies and try to learn some new craft or technique constantly.  I love word games and museums and suck at geology and logic and anything even remotely mathematical.  I'm always curious and looking up stuff.  If I question something, I want an answer so I'll go to the trouble to find the answer.  I get melancholy sometimes...most artists do......and I use that type of energy in my paintings and try not to put it out into my world.  

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Although I work in a very "face-forward" job, especially with the body art and working at events, I tend to get shy in big groups and tend to support the corners of the venue....you never know when the wall will fall down.    

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That's the most I've EVER written about myself.  If you want to know anything else, just ask me:)  

 

And that's me:)

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