Bio
Shannon’s Story
As a child I was reserved and shy, As for what I wanted to be growing up, I didn’t know. I hated school. I remember being an angry teenager and throughout most of my young adult life. The only place I did feel confident and at peace with myself was when I was painting and drawing. The noise and anger in my head would stop.
After leaving school in 1986 I was 17. I went on to receive my certificate in showcard and Ticket Writing ( Signwriting) with the emphasis on Airbrushing.
1990 I was a young mother with my Son James and two years later my daughter Ashley came into this world.
So fast forward 2003 James 13 and Ashley 11. I have signed up for my Fine Arts Diploma and it was a turning point for my future. The techniques, manipulation of different mediums and colour all found there way into my art works. I was like a kid in a candy shop. From always drawing portraits and painting realism. To finding comfort in the female form and the constructive movement. By converting the two together. The Arty world calls this style of painting figurative cubism. I would use alot of different reds in my work back then. I love the colour red. I look at this colour and feel an emotional feeling with it. ( maybe it’s an Arty thing looking at a certain colour and feeling a certain way.) Around 2004 to 2006 I was already exhibiting my work. I didn’t know much about having Exhibitions but I knew I wanted to get my Art Works out there. I felt I had something to say through my paintings they had a meaning and gave me purpose.
2007 I’m 38 and Sara my youngest daughter has surprised me by coming into this world. I truly do feel our children come into our lives to help us grow. I fell into a depressive state at this time and wasn’t in a good place of mind. (Depression can either kill you or you can push through it. I do feel now that its your bodies way of releasing and cleansing so a new beginning can come in ) But knowing I had a beautiful baby girl to look after I had to push through. 2009 I picked up the Airbrush again I started painting bonets of cars and a couple of motor bikes but manly for myself. Just to get going again
2011 I did my Certificate 3 in Aged Care. 2012 I had a job at Uniting Care ( Support Worker AIN). To have such purpose in a job was rewarding I worked at Uniting for 9 years. I loved my job. Finshed in 2020
2015 Millicent ( Millie ) my Grandaughter was born, My Son James is a Dad ( it’s 2024 Millie is visiting from Western Australia, We are driving in the car and Mill who is 9 now and reading Nan’s story. Mill has said ‘where’s me ‘ I have forgot to add her to my story ) Millie is my only Grandchild, she loves school , dance, Sports and she is very creative like her Nanny and Mill is a very smart young lady.
2016 myself and Sara have moved out to a little property. I’ve started painting again and having Exhibitions in Newcastle. To get a second chance like this after so many years is fortunate and I’m grateful. This is where I used a lot more colour in my works and I started to write my poetry as I had to write an Artist Statement for each Art Work. I found it easier to talk about each piece and why. For the viewer I wanted them to feel what I was going through and what I was feeling at the time.
I’ll fast forward again to 2019 and give you an insight of where my Spiritual Journey began and why I started to make my Candles . I’m 46 feeling a bit lonely not wanting to be an old woman all alone and I was looking at the art of manifestation, and realising that I do have a gift in manifesting. So I manifested my Twinflame, not really understanding what a twinflame was back then. I thought It was a romantic love story that fairytale romance. (it is not.) They are a refection of yourself. You can never be together as a romantic couple it will not work. After you have meet up and have been together? … your journey will begin. My Spiritual journey was a soul journey from past traumas within myself. My twinflame came into my life like a catalyst to push me forward so I could look at myself from within. I was soul searching it was an ego death, forgiving myself, loving myself for who I was. Finding a source of higher power, using nature and frequency finding and being in my feminine energy and being grateful for the smallest things in life. This is when I started making my candles. I started making them for myself. I wanted a pretty candle for my spiritual rituals, a candle that has the use of crystals and the elements of earth and nature. My Candles started out for my own well-being and now my candles give well being to others.
Its now the end of 2024 and I have moved to Quirindi In NSW Australia. where I have my studio and I’m fortunate and inspired to create my Art works make my candles and sell my products online and do the local markets each month. My children are all grown up James 34 Ashley 32 and Sara 17 and Mill 9 .. Now that I’m in my 50’s I feel at peace with myself , for my life has made me for who I am today.
Artists who have influenced me include Henri Matisse, Marcel Duchamp, Kandinsky; I can’t go past Norman Lindsay and Brett Whitely amongst others for their understanding of the figure amongst many other great names.
The Female Form What Inspires Me.
What inspires me to paint the female form. Is our Femininity, yes we all have a masculine and Feminine sides to us all. but when a woman is using her Feminine energy she is nurturing her creativity, showing appreciation and being confident within herself , recognising her emotions and following her Intuition and trusting it. As Woman we are powerful creators we give life for goodness sake. Whatever we put in we get back, through nature and frequency. Tapping in to a higher power its all connected. We are one. The multiple female figures within my works is that we are powerful beings we have purpose. We can sit and meditate in silence or stand together. Do not underestimate each other, as Mothers , Daughters ,Sisters, Friends or foe we all have our place on this earth, A little bit of goddess if you will it.
