About the Artist

I was born and grew up in southern and northwestern Ontario, Canada. As the third child of six, I always enjoyed art and creating. I especially enjoyed drawing faces. College was new for our family, I assessed whether to get a psychology, art or nursing degree  and settled on a practical degree, a BSN.  Some years later I obtained a Master's in Counseling degree.  Much of my young adult life was spent overseas; acclimating to a culture different than my own, busy with my husband in humanitarian efforts, and raising three amazing sons. 

Moving back to North America in the early 2000's I had an existential crisis, as it were. At midlife I felt that I had reached my life goals. I felt lost. I eventually realized that this is the season to create artwork, and so I am finishing the triad of my three choices in college; first an RN, then a counselor, and, now, an artist. I chose a pencil, something I did in my drawing class in college. (The pencil drawing, on the left, is  from those days. It is my Old Order Mennonite Grandpa Martin sitting at the stockyards close to St Jacobs, Ontario.) I drew each of my son's one year portraits and did other work. Diane Overmyer, an Indiana artist, introduced me to oils and plein air painting. She became a mentor in my art journey until I moved to Ohio. Since then I have learned and gleaned from a variety of artists in person and online classes. Artist's such as Dennis Perrin, Lena Rivo, Bill Inman, Mark Gingerich, Kelly Day, Crista Clouter, and others. I frequently take plein air classes with Joe Lombardo, a local artist; benefitting from his teaching expertise while enjoying the camaraderie with other artists painting in nature. I work mostly in oils, but also enjoy gouache and watercolor. I am exploring mixed media.

I am most grateful for my third floor studio in our historical home, which I also use as a gallery. The portfolio on this website shows some, not all, of my art work. It is plein air and studio work.

At the core of what makes art and life beautiful is love. Vincent Van Gogh was writing his brother, Theo, in gratefulness for financial help given when he wrote, "You are kind to painters, and I tell you, the more I think it over, there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."

I couldn't have said it better.

~Shirley