Shelley Phillips
Edison, NJ - United States
Shelley Phillips - Fine Artist
Member Since: 01/09/2013
From as far back as I can remember I have always loved drawing. Portraits were my favorite. Originally from Philadelphia, Pa., I spent summers in Atlantic City, NJ (before it became a gambling mecca) where I sketched portraits for a few summers after high school, on the boardwalk’s Steel Pier, in a concession stand. Long days, but fun doing the charcoal and pastel portraits and meeting tight rope walkers and lion tamers, etc. who also worked on the Pier. When I later moved to Boston area to teach art, I had fun drawing portraits of music stars who I saw in concert and I would be able to go backstage and get my picture signed, meeting the star. (ie, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, John Denver, Seiji Ozawa, Tom Rush).
I went to Tyler School of Fine Arts, in Philadelphia, with a split major of painting and education. Acrylics was my painting medium, for the most part. I enjoyed teaching elementary art for over 35 years mostly in the Boston area (Newton, Ma.) and later, here in New Jersey.
While on a trip to New Mexico, I was very inspired by the art work of Georgia O Keefe, after going to her museum. Thus I started a series of floral abstracts. I love that when you zero in on the flower, leaf, etc. you find amazing compositional push and pull, positive and negative, color and shape harmony. I always take lots of photos when visiting botanical gardens that I can draw from later.
Since I’ve retired from teaching last year, I’ve started painting in oils, taking classes, and exhibiting my art work. I’m trying to loosen up in my painting and branch out to also do landscape and still life. I started a series on statues, which utilizes my love of portraits and figures, with landscape. And I’m working on oil portraits, as well, including animals.
In addition to my painting, ORIGAMI is another love of mine. I’ve been to conventions, exhibited and have given adult classes in origami. All you need is a piece of paper!
