SHAWN MARSHALL BIO
Above: SHAWN MARSHALL, Metropolis. Collage on panel, 18 x 18 inches.
SHAWN MARSHALL
Shawn Marshall is a Kentucky-based mixed media artist with a background in architecture and design. She earned a Master of Architecture with a Minor in Fine Art from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kentucky. She is also a visual arts educator who earned Master of Art in Teaching from Bellarmine University.
Shawn Marshall's work has garnered both national and international recognition, with features in Curatory Art Magazine, Visionary Art Magazine, Create! Magazinee, Suboart Magazine, Contemporary Collage Magazine, and others. In the summers of 2024 and 2025, she completed residencies with the Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe, which culminated in a solo exhibition in November of 2024. She also exhibited with the Jen Tough Gallery at the 2026 LA Art in January. Marshall has also received multiple Artist Enrichment Grants from the Great Meadows Foundation, the most recent of which supported her travels to Venice, Italy, to attend the 2024 Biennale.
Shawn Marshall’s work is included in many collections including the S.N.A.P. Collection in Louisville, KY, and corporate collections including Brown-Forman Corporation, PNC Bank, Commonwealth Bank, and the University of Kentucky. Her work can also be found in numerous private collections in the U.S. and Europe.
"My work examines how femininity is constructed through architecture, material culture, and systems of power and display. Informed by my background in architecture, I approach collage as a form of spatial assembly. I build hand-cut layered environments that function as thresholds, vitrines, and compressed sites of desire, and I am interested in how gendered identities are rehearsed and how beauty circulates as both an invitation and a constraint.
"My recent works engage the tradition of the still life as a site of concealed meaning. What initially reads as lush and ornamental abundance, cascading blooms drawn from the Dutch vanitas tradition, reveals itself on closer inspection to be a more unsettling anatomy. Women's bodies are fragmented, miniaturized, and absorbed into the floral arrangements: figures nestle inside blooms like ornaments, legs emerge upended from bouquets, forms are engulfed and reduced to decorative element. Scattered throughout are fragments of commercial culture, from pharmaceutical advertising to convenience store signage, tucked into the botanical splendor like uninvited guests. The irregular shaped panels themselves participate in this logic, their organic contours mimicking the very excess they contain. By folding these elements into the familiar language of beauty and floral abundance, the work exposes what that language has always obscured: the staging, display, and consumption of the female form as aesthetic object."
--Shawn Marshall
EDUCATION
2009 Master of Art in Teaching, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY
1996 Master of Architecture, Minor in Fine Arts, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
1992 Bachelor of Architecture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
2026 Assemblage, Hammond Harkins Galleries, Columbus, OH
ENID Women Sculptors, Group Exhibition, KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026 un-stills, WheelHouse Art, Louisville, KY
2025 stills, Garner Narrative Contemporary Gallery, Louisville, KY
2024 Reframe, Jen Tough Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Scraps, John G. Irving Gallery, Central Bank, Lexington, KY
2023 Imprints & Abstraction, Capacity Contemporary, Louisville, KY
2022 Inspired, Lowber Gallery, Louisville, KY
2021 Infiniteness & Insignificance, Lexington Art League, Lexington, KY
2018 Surface; Beyond the Horizon, Craft[s] Gallery, Louisville, KY
2017 Inward Landscapes, Pyro Gallery, Louisville, KY
Landscapes, Downtown Pilates Studio & Gallery, Louisville, KY
2009 Shawn Marshall: New Works, Pyro Gallery, Louisville, KY
2006 Tribal Countenance, McGrath Gallery, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 Go Figure, O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA
Collect Then All, Jen Tough Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Material Obsession, KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY
Open Studio Louisville Juried Exhibition, Cressman Center, Louisville, KY
Resident Artist Exhibition, Jen Tough Gallery, Santa Fe, KY
Spring Exhibition, Hammond Harkins Galleries, Columbus, OH
inaugurate, garner narrative contemporary, Louisville, KY
2024 Let's Proceed..., Gather Gallery, Louisville, KY
Mothering Me, Carnegie Cultural Arts Center, New Albany, IN
Slips & Scraps, a Duo Exhibition, Pyro Gallery, Louisville, KY
Moments in Time, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
Beauty in the Living, Sanctuary Gallery, Lexington, KY
Alchemy of Color, Kefi Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Girl Crush, Art Portal, Louisville, KY
Celebrating Radiance, Kefi Gallery, Toronto, Canada
Redefining Form, Wilson Gallery, Georgetown College, Georgetown, KY
Art in City Hall, an Invitational Exhibition, Prospect, KY
2023 Fresh Paint Online Exhibition, Create! Magazine, New York, NY
What Remains, Juried Exhibition, Visionary Art Collective, Brooklyn, NY
Materia Prima, ARTS Southeast, Savannah, GA
Showers Spring, Chauvet Arts, Nashville, TN
Mothering Me, Art Sanctuary, Louisville, KY
2022 Anticipation, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
Summer Juried Show, Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ
The Blue Show, Lowber Gallery, Louisville, KY
Anything Goes, ENID, Georgetown College, Georgetown, KY
Artful Connections, Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, Owensboro, KY
Salon de Refuses, Wausau Fine Art Museum, Wausau, WI
Winter Exhibition, New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY
2021 Open Studio Juried Exhibition, The Cressman Center, Louisville, KY
Celestial, Lowber Gallery, Louisville, KY
The Gift, Invitational Exhibition, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
Herstory: Moving Forward, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
Incongruent Realities, Affiliate Exhibition, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
Hope, Invitational Show, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
2020 Uncertainty, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
Summer Juried Exhibition, Blue Mountain Gallery, NY, NY
3rd Annual Small Works Juried Show, ART ROOM, Fort Worth,TX
2019 ENID: Generations of Women Sculptors, McGrath Gallery, Louisville, KY
Mix It Up, New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY
AC Hotel Exhibition, Selected Artist, Louisville, KY
Fresh Paint, Moremen Contemporary Gallery, Louisville, KY
2018 2018 Open Studio Juried Exhibition, Cressman Center, Louisville, KY
2018 Juried Exhibition, Portland Art & Heritage Fair, Louisville, KY
On the Canvas|From the Camera, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah, KY
Spring Exhibition, Sozo Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2017 Mazin Juried Art Exhibition, J. Patio Gallery, Louisville, KY
Open Studio Juried Exhibit, Cressman Center, Louisville, KY
Selfies & Self-Portraits, Viridian Artists Gallery, New York, NY
The Modern Landscape, New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY
LandEscape, McGrath Gallery, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY
Reunion II, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL
Mix It Up, New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY
Gridworks Revisited, New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY
2016 27th International Juried Exhibition, Viridian Artists, New York, NY
Movement + Context, Pyro Gallery, Louisville, KY
Art in America, Juried Exhibition, The Art House, Chicago, IL
2015 Abstract in Kentucky, Kaviar Forge & Gallery, Louisville, KY
2014 HORIZON: Contemporary Landscape, The Art Center, Danville, KY
Displacement II, New Harmony Gallery of Art, New Harmony, IN
ENID; Sculptors, Morlan Gallery, Transylvania Univ., Lexington, KY
Displacement I, Huff Gallery, Spalding Univ., Louisville, KY
2013 ENID 2013, The Cressman Center, Louisville, KY
2011 ENID; Women Sculptors, Carnegie Center, New Albany, IN
2004 ENID; Women Sculptors, Huff Gallery, Spalding University, Louisville, KY
ART FAIRS
2026 LA Art Show, Los Angeles, CA
2024 The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn, NY
RESIDENCIES
2025 AIR Studios, Jen Tough Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
2024 AIR Studios, Jen Tough Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
GRANTS, PUBLICATIONS, AWARDS
2025 Featured Artist, Issue #13, New Visionary Magazine, New York, NY
Artist Interview, Artistic Hub Magazine
Artist Interview, Curatory Magazine
Featured Artist, Divide Magazine, Issue #11
2024 Artist Enrichment Grant, Great Meadows Foundation, Louisville, KY (Traveled to the 2024 Venice Biennale)
Featured Artist, Suboart Magazine, Issue 33
Contemporary Collage Magazine Awards 2024, Portfolio Shortlist
2023 Artist Enrichment Grant, Great Meadows Foundation, Louisville, KY (Traveled to New York, NY & Beacon, NY)
Suboart Magazine, Issue 15, December 2023
Art Seen Magazine, Issue 10, Winter 2023
Contemporary Collage Magazine, Issue 21, Featured Artist
Contemporary Collage Magazine, Issue 17, Featured Artwork
ArtWife Arts Journal, April 2023
2022 Orange Book,1st Ed., Artrepreneur Art Book, Cover & Feature Thought Art Magazine, Issue 05
2020 2020 Juried Exhibition Catalog, Blue Mountain Gallery NY, NY,
2019 New Limestone Review, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
3rd Place, MAZIN Juried Art Exhibition, J Gallery, Louisville, KY Open Journal Art & Letters, Featured Artist
2018 Art Hive Magazine, Featured Artist Supersonic Art, Featured Artist
2017 1st Place, MAZIN Juried Art Exhibition, J Gallery, Louisville, KY Louisville Magazine, Featured Artist, Louisville, KY
2016 Professional Artist Magazine, Featured Artist
1995 Travel Grant, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Traveled to see works by artists Heizer, Ross, Holt, Turrell, and others)
1994 Helen Fagan Tyler Scholarship, Cornell University - Full Tuition Award
COLLECTIONS
Shapin Nicolas Art Project (S.N.A.P. Collection), Louisville, KY
Brown-Forman Corporation, Louisville, KY
PNC Bank, Pittsburgh, PA
Commonwealth Bank, Louisville, KY
The University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY
VisitLEX, Lexington, KY
Private Collections throughout the U.S. & Europe
REPRESENTATION
WheelHouse Art, Louisville & Lexington, KY
Jen Tough Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
Hammond-Harkins Galleries, Columbus, OH
ARTIST STATEMENT
My artistic process is significantly shaped by the integration of my multidisciplinary background in architecture and sculpture. It informs not only the techniques I employ and the tools I use, but also the consideration I give to structure, form, space, composition, and material. My work is focused on the interconnectivity between the human presence, the built environment, and the natural environment. In my practice I also consider waste, consumption, and what imprints we leave behind. With these concerns in mind, I collect discarded, found, and gifted magazines and paper, and save colorful paper shopping bags to use as collage material. These materials are both the subject and material in my abstract works. In my collage work, I use architectural and domestic imagery to experiment with composition, space, and narrative. By juxtaposing disparate elements, I create new meanings and invite viewers to question what they are seeing. By shifting the orientation of the spaces or objects and placing seemingly unrelated imagery together, I aim to disrupt familiar visual narratives and/or create new ones. Further, to explore and challenge societal perceptions of women's roles and how they are often portrayed, I sometimes incorporate feminine imagery. By doing so, I aim to question traditional narratives and stereotypes associated with femininity and gender roles." – Shawn Marshall
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October 7, 2025
Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shawn Marshall. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shawn , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Not all of the risks I’ve taken have had positive outcomes, but some of the biggest have led to the life-changing events of my life. After earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in architecture and working in the field for nearly 20 years, I made the bold decision to leave architecture altogether and return to school once more, this time to become a teacher.
That decision was shaped by several events that converged in 2008. I was laid off from the architecture firm where I worked due to the sharp downturn in construction during the global recession. That same year, I went through a divorce, which forced me to sell my home and move with my son into a small apartment. For years, I had quietly considered becoming a teacher so that I could nurture my love of education, spend more time with my son, and create more space for my art practice. Those difficult circumstances became the catalyst that finally pushed me to take the leap, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a Kentucky-based mixed media artist with a background in architecture and design. I earned a Master of Architecture with a Minor in Fine Art from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kentucky. I’m also a public school visual arts educator who earned Master of Art in Teaching from Bellarmine University.
As an artist, I have built a practice that bridges disciplines, combining the rigor of design with the openness of artmaking. I bring an architect’s eye for space and structure to my compositions, while embracing the imperfections, fragments, and tactile histories and meanings of existing upcycled materials. My works invite viewers to pause and reflect on their own connections to these narratives, creating not just objects for decoration but spaces of inquiry and resonance.
I feel proud and honored that my work has garnered both national and international recognition, with features in Artistic Hub Magainze, Curatory Art Magazine, Visionary Art Magazine, Suboart Magazine, Contemporary Collage Magazine, and now with Canvas Rebel. In the summer of 2024, I completed a residency with the Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe, which culminated in a solo exhibition in November of 2024. I have also been fortunate enough to receive multiple Artist Enrichment Grants from the Great Meadows Foundation, with the most recent supporting my travels to Venice, Italy for the 2024 Biennale. And I am thrilled for the upcoming opportunity to show in the 2026 LA Art Show with the Jen Tough Gallery.
What sets my work apart could be its layered approach, both visually and conceptually. I value depth, tension, and contrast. My practice also reflects my life philosophy of taking risks, changing approaches, pushing boundaries, and continually growing. I want people to know that my work is not simply about what you see on the surface but about what lies beneath, about the stories that shape us, and about creating works that evolve in meaning and impact over time. Most recently I am exploring the role of women within spaces traditionally shaped by men; religious, institutional, and architectural. Sometimes I’m quietly challenging power structures; other times, I’m simply existing within them. By placing feminine figures in these spaces, I explore how presence alone can shift the atmosphere and how resilience, stillness, or mere visibility can change the narrative.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
My reputation has been built on hard work and consistency – showing up to do the work day after day. I’ve also learned to see rejection not as a personal setback, but as part of the process of growth. Each setback is fuel to refine my practice and push forward.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
It’s important for non-creatives to recognize that creatives are driven by an insatiable curiosity about how things work and an instinct for problem-solving. These qualities make us restless with the status quo and continually push us to discover fresh, inspiring ways of approaching challenges. Curiosity and problem-solving aren’t just artistic traits, they’re universally valuable skills that strengthen every field of study and every business.
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Artist Spotlights/ June 19, 2024/
Meet the Artist: Shawn Marshall’s Intricate Webs of Existence
We are excited to spotlight Shawn Marshall, an artist known for her innovative approach to mixed media art. For more on our social media post, click here.
Shawn Marshall is a Kentucky-based painter & mixed-media artist with a background in architecture and design. She earned a Master of Architecture with a Minor in Fine Art (sculpture emphasis) from Cornell University, where she studied under sculptors Jack Squire, Robert Bertoia, and Gail Scott White. Before that, Shawn earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kentucky. She is also a visual arts educator who earned a Master of Art in Teaching from Bellarmine University.
A look inside Artrepreneur Artist Shawn Marshall’s studio.
Shawn Marshall’s work has received national recognition and has been published in Contemporary Collage Magazine, Art Hive Magazine, Professional Artist Magazine, and others. She is a recent recipient of an Artist Enrichment Grant from the Great Meadows Foundation, and her work is included in many collections including the SNAP Collection in Louisville, corporate collections including Brown-Forman Corporation, PNC Bank, Commonwealth Bank, and the University of Kentucky, and numerous private collections in the U.S. and Europe. Marshall is represented by Viridian Artists, New York, NY, Chauvet Arts in Nashville, TN, and New Editions Gallery in Lexington, KY. She is also represented by the curated online galleries Artrepreneur, 1st Dibs, & Singulart.
“My artistic process is significantly shaped by the integration of my multidisciplinary background in architecture and sculpture. It informs not only the techniques I employ and the tools I use but also the consideration I give to structure, form, space, composition, and material. My work explores the profound connection between human presence and our environment. I am also concerned with consumption and waste. For this reason, I collect discarded and found materials such as paper, cardboard, wallpaper, magazines, lace, scraps of material, etc. I then merge the carefully selected mixed media with paint to create intricate webs and imprints of our existence.”
“Chromatic” (2024)
An exploration of vibrant hues, “Chromatic” is an abstract mixed media artwork that dazzles with a palette of pinks, purples, yellows, blues, and oranges. The incorporation of paper pieces and a mesh-like overlay forms a grid structure, adding layers of texture and depth. The piece exudes playfulness and imagination, showcasing the artist’s skill in creating a visually intricate and captivating work.
“Cosmic Circle 4” (2023)
“Cosmic Circle 4” is a striking mixed media work crafted on a cradled panel using paper, cardboard, acrylic, and spray paint. The piece blends these diverse materials to create a dynamic and textured composition. The interplay of media results in a captivating visual experience, inviting viewers to explore its intricate layers and cosmic themes.
In her Kentucky studio, Shawn Marshall’s creative space is a blend of architectural precision and artistic chaos. Essential to her process are her Zacto knives and mylar, which she uses to create painting guards and stencils. Each guard is specific to each painting and is used to protect the underlayers of paint and material from spray painting pattern and texture. She shares, “Part of my process involves precisely cutting mylar into painting guards and stencils,” highlighting a unique technique that defines her intricate artworks.
Shawn Marshall is currently developing a series that delves into the relationship between human presence and our environment, focusing on consumption and waste. This series will be showcased in upcoming exhibitions across the United States and Europe.
Artist Shawn Marshall working on a new piece in her studio.
In her own words, “I see each artwork as a dialogue between the present and the past. From an aerial perspective, some works take on the semblance of rediscovered cityscapes or overgrown gardens, reminiscent of forgotten structures and the tangible traces of human activity. Others might resemble cosmic universes. As one draws closer, a duality emerges. The intricate textures and layers mimic the surfaces of billboards that have witnessed the ebb and flow of information and messages, and the frames of the subway platforms that host a perpetual dance of images and information. It is through this rhythm of placement and removal that our intricate relationship with the world unfolds, leaving behind a tapestry of ideas, experiences, and memories that weave together to create new imprints and narratives.”
“Neon Tapestry” (2024)
Stay updated with Shawn Marshall’s latest works and exhibitions by following her Artrepreneur profile. For a glimpse into her creative process and daily inspirations, check out her Instagram. Shawn Marshall’s innovative approach and unique artistic vision continue to captivate and inspire, making her an artist to watch.
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April 15, 2024
Pursuing your passion no matter what with Shawn Marshall
With a background in architecture and landscape painting, U.S. artist Shawn Marshall discovered mixed media collage during the COVID 19 pandemic. Three years later, Marshall’s vibrant, intuitive pieces have gained recognition in the local and national art scene and the artist has just completed her 8th successful solo show.
In our conversation with Shawn we spoke about fulfilling her childhood dream of artmaking and teaching, the power of colours and entering the “flow state”, and why being dragged around museums as a child isn’t always as bad as you’d think. Enjoy!
By Nina Seidel
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Hi Shawn, it’s a pleasure to have you and thank you for taking your time to answer my questions. Let’s start with a few basics for people who are not familiar with you and your work. Who are you and what do you do?
Hi Nina – thanks so much for this opportunity! I am an American mixed-media artist and visual arts educator based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Before speaking about your work, I’d like to go back in time with you for a moment. Do you remember the first time you got in touch with visual art?
I grew up overseas (Cyprus, Lebanon, and Germany) and some of my earliest memories are “site-seeing” visits to museums and historical sites with my family. I was quite young and can remember my siblings and I complaining about being “dragged around” to all these places. I am of course grateful now for those experiences, and convinced they’re the reason I understood from a very early age I was an artist. I have a memory of seeing an exhibit of impressionist painters like Monet, Cezanne, and Pissaro for the first time sometime in the 70’s and falling in love with their work. I dreamed of being a painter some day and spent countless hours drawing and sketching growing up. My mother wrote in my baby book that at the age of 5 I said I wanted to be an artist and a teacher when I grew up. Here I am a 55 and that is exactly what I’m doing. (Though I did take a bit of a detour first.)
I have a memory of seeing an exhibit of impressionist painters like Monet, Cezanne, and Pissaro for the first time sometime in the 70’s and falling in love with their work.
Through the Trees, 24 x 24 in, Mixed Media
That sounds like a childhood dream come true. With “detour” I guess you are referring to studying Architecture? I have interviewed artists in the past who shifted from Architecture to Fine Arts and I have the impression it’s not an uncommon thing to happen…
Despite really wanting to attend art school for college, my parents convinced me to go to architecture school. They wanted me to be able to support myself after college and felt architecture school would better prepare me to do that. I acquiesced because I figured as long as I had a studio space to work, it wouldn’t make that much of a difference! Architecture, Art, it’s all the same, right? ha! I completed a Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Kentucky in 1992 and went on to attain a Master of Architecture from Cornell University in 1996. During my graduate studies at Cornell, I took some sculpture classes and completed a Minor in Fine Arts. I was fortunate enough to study under artist Jack Squire and fell in love with plaster. Those were the first (and last) formal art classes I took, but were enough to solidify my passion, confidence, and drive to create art. Despite working as an architectural designer for almost 20 years, I continued to make art over that timeframe. I worked in my basement, outside in my yard, rented cheap studio spaces, wherever I could find to work. It wasn’t until I turned 40 that I decided to leave the field of architecture, obtain another masters degree (this time in teaching) and devote more time to my art career. I’ve never regretted it.
I worked in my basement, outside in my yard, rented cheap studio spaces, wherever I could find to work. It wasn’t until I turned 40 that I decided to leave the field of architecture.
Nova 1, 24 x 24 in, Mixed Media
Let’s speak about your work now. You create colourful mixed media pieces – mostly on panel and canvas, but also sculptures- that explore the connection between the human presence and the environment. They are full of different textures, patterns, colours, and I’m a big fan of them!
Thank you so much, Nina. I really appreciate your support of my work! My media and work has evolved and changed over the last 20+ years. Early on, I worked in plaster and mixed media creating abstract sculpture and mixed media wall pieces. I then shifted to oil paint and painted ethereal landscapes for the next 8-10 years. My last shift was back to mixed media & acrylic paint, which occurred during the beginning of the Covid Pandemic. In 2020-21, before a vaccine was available, I worked from my home studio as a remote teacher because of a heart condition. I also continued my art practice in the same space in which I taught. This forced me to deal with the large amount of materials used in both teaching and in my art practice, and I became acutely aware of my own personal consumption and waste. Prices for paint and materials increased and/or were not always available during this time either, so I began collecting found and discarded materials such as paper, cardboard, used shopping bags, paper towels, etc. I scoured hardware stores for gallons of customer-returned house paint because it was much cheaper.
Other materials such as discarded wallpaper, tissue paper, and scraps of lace were donated to me by friends and family. These materials became my new media and continue to be what I use in my work today.
All That is Here, 24 x 24 in, Mixed Media
Is there any piece or series you’d like to speak about more in detail?
“I Can See Clearly Now” was a breakthrough piece for me at the end of 2021-early 2022, during which time I made a big shift in materials and expression/style. I was scheduled to have a solo show at a gallery in Louisville, KY in the Fall of 2021, but walked away from the opportunity because of the way the gallery owner treated me leading up to the exhibition. It felt scary at the time, but it turned out to be a great gift. With no exhibition on the horizon I felt like I had nothing to lose. The uncertainty of my work/exhibitions and the stress of Covid for someone with a heart condition caused a great deal of stress and anxiety. I was not feeling led to paint landscapes during this time. They did not feel relevant nor were they helping me expend some of my anxious energy.
The physicality of painting large mixed media abstracts on my studio floor helped me express myself in a way that landscapes could not.
Having no exhibition on the horizon and not knowing where my work was heading actually afforded me the freedom to experiment with materials and ideas without any expectations. “I Can See Clearly Now” was one of the first pieces to come out of that experience. The title came from the song by Jimmy Cliff but it was more reflective of the feelings of clarity I had after creating it. Completing it was a pivotal moment in my career. I’m happy to say it was selected for the cover of Artrepreneur’s Art Book, 1st Ed.
I Can See Clearly Now, 48 x 48 in, Mixed Media
I once read on your Instagram account that you consider your temperament rather melancholic, and that this might be why you tend to choose vibrant colours in your work. I’d like to ask you if these colour choices always happen subconsciously or if you sometimes set out to create a piece in a specific colour?
Chromotherapy (the use of color and light to treat certain mental and physical health conditions) is definitely real for me, but I don’t select my colors based on some scientific knowledge of what specific colors might bring about in myself or others. But I’ve never shied away from using vivid colors. And I can tell you that working with vibrant colors literally brings me a sense of joy and calm that is really hard to explain. I can feel it come over me while I’m working.
Like most artists, I often get into a zone when I work, a flow state where time is suspended and I work without thinking. It’s the only time I am truly in the moment.
Lately I’ve been using neon colors. Perhaps there is a correlation between what is going on in the world and the intensity of the color, I don’t know. Sometimes the colors I begin a piece with are random and sometimes they are inspired by nature (especially in Spring and Fall). Sometimes I’m inspired by the colors I’ve seen in someone else’s artwork. Often the colors I start a painting with end up being covered with other layers of other colors and textures in the process. The whole process of choosing colors is very intuitive.
Besides the works on canvas and panel, you also create sculptures…
I first began creating plaster sculptures back in grad school in the early 90’s. They were abstract pieces created with cut and formed chicken wire and applied Plaster of Paris. My very first solo show in 2006 included only abstract plaster sculpture. After that, I worked in mixed media, shifted to oil painting and landscapes, and now I’m back to mixed media. I stopped creating plaster sculpture for a while because I wanted to work in color and wasn’t sure how to do that with plaster successfully. Just recently I started applying the same materials I use in my mixed media pieces (paper scraps, cardboard, spray paint etc) to plaster sculpture and have been pretty excited with the results.
A Tribute to Bonnie Seymour, 18 x 12 x 11 in, Mixed Media on Plaster
A Tribute to Bonnie Seymour 2, 18 x 12 x 11, Mixed Media on Plaster
The sculptures look great, I hope to see more of them in the future. I wanted to briefly speak with you about your creative process. You already mentioned that it’s very intuitive…
Yes, the beginning of a piece is very intuitive. I don’t draw or sketch a plan or idea. Instead, I start by pouring paint onto a canvas or panel on the floor and then use brushes to spread and mix the paint freely. I watch for moments of depth in the brush strokes left from mixing colors. After the first layer, everything else is a response to the layer below.
And your process seems to be very hands-on. Are you able to put into words how creating makes you feel?
Creating is usually sort of a meditative practice and very cathartic for me. I allow myself to be in sort of a flow state and let go of the need to be in total control. The way I work is also very physical, which releases stress. I begin with my work on the floor so I can easily pour and brush paint on the panel or canvas. I have also found that looking down on my work, seeing and working on it from all directions, provides the liberty to postpone deciding on its orientation (top or bottom) prematurely. That way, the piece also has more freedom to become what it wants to be.
Creating is usually sort of a meditative practice and very cathartic for me. I allow myself to be in sort of a flow state and let go of the need to be in total control.
Shawn Marshall in her studio in Louisville, Kentucky
Photo credit: Artreprenuer
Besides working as an artist, you are also a teacher. What do you enjoy about the job? And what advice do you usually give your students, or more generally speaking, what advice would you share with young people who want to pursue a career as an artist?
I teach Ceramics, Sculpture, AP Art, and Architectural Design to high school students. I feel so lucky to teach what I love and then go home at the end of the day and do what I love! I enjoy sharing my experience, passion, and enthusiasm for creating with my students, and I am inspired every day by their creativity, resilience, and curiosity. They keep me young and optimistic about the future.
I feel the best advice I can give my students or a young person who wants to pursue a career as an artist is two-fold: work consistently and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
That sounds like a very useful and doable piece of advice. Our conversation is coming towards the end, so I have a few last questions for you. First, please finish the following sentence: I think art has the power to…
…both transcend our human limitations and unite us in our shared humanity.
What are you currently working on and is there a future project you’d like to share with us?
I just completed a year’s worth of artwork (30 pieces) for a solo exhibition that opened in Lexington, KY March 29th. I took a much needed vacation, and am now excited to complete a large (48x60in) commission. The client is the perfect client for me; she said she loves my work, shared some colors she liked, and basically just said “do your thing. Also, I’m thrilled to have recently been accepted into an artist residency and promotion program at the Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe. I’ll be completing a 2-week residency this summer, receiving mentorship for a year, and will have a month-long solo exhibition in the Fall of 2024.
Congratulations on all these projects – 30 pieces is not a joke! For my next question I wondered if there is any fellow artist you’d like to recommend?
I would love to share and recommend a fellow mid-career artist and friend who is also a Kentucky-based woman artist I’ve known and admired a long time – Valerie Sullivan Fuchs (pronounced Fox). You can find her on Instagram @valeriesfuchs and see more of her work on her website www.valeriefuchs.org.
If you had to describe your work in just two words, what would these be?
Structured Randomness
And last question, what are your hopes for the future?
My hope is that I continue making art that is authentic to me and that my desire to continue learning, growing, and experimenting as an artist continues. Ultimately, my goal is to be able to dedicate my time fully to my art, make a sustainable living from it, and increase my visibility in the contemporary art world. Because this will involve continuing to build a strong and supportive network, cultivating a loyal audience, and continually honing my skills and artistic vision.
I am committed to pursuing my passion with dedication, perseverance, and unwavering determination.
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”Dayspring” by Shawn Marshall, Oil on canvas, 24x36in, 2019
Shawn Marshall’s most recent Artist’s Statement reads:
”Painting is somewhat of a meditative practice for me; it's an outlet to release intuitive energy and let go of preconceived notions or self-imposed rules about how I interpret and portray the world. My focus on the landscape comes from a fascination with the horizon. As a "third culture kid," I grew up overseas moving often. One of the places my family lived was Beirut, Lebanon in the midst of the civil war in the 70’s. I saw violence and lived in fear. The one thing that appeared to remain peaceful was the landscape, specifically the horizon. The landscape is still an escape for me and the horizon continues to bring hope.”
The words explain Marshall’s continued fascination with the almost empty landscape; it is iconic, and almost sacred for her. This sense of spirituality in landscape as subject is not unusual, but Marshall’s focus on the vanishing point is unique. Specific details of location and season are less important, even when present, than isolating the mirage of a point where land and sky join. Is it the suggestion of wholeness in nature and the universe in general that Marshall find so compelling; that there is always hope somewhere, even if it is not immediately within reach?
”Vivid Sky” by Shawn Marshall, Oil on canvas, 12x12in, 2019
Marshall has pushed her landscapes into abstraction for quite awhile, and while these newest paintings are far from naturalistic, there is spontaneity in the brushwork that is a departure. In “Vivid Sky” there is a sense of urgency to the mark making, as if the artist was racing against time to complete the composition.
Marshall’s work is in numerous private collections including PNC Bank, Pittsburgh, PA, Commonwealth Bank, Louisville, KY, and the University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY.
Recent Exhibitions:
February-March 2019 “Fresh Paint” - New Artists - Moremen Gallery, Louisville, KY
2018 Open Studio Weekend Juried Exhibition - Cressman Center for Visual Arts, Louisville, KY
Louisville Visual Art Juried Art Exhibition, 2018 Portland Art & Heritage Fair, Louisville, KY
Photo: Jessica Ebelhar
Marshall is a member of ENID, a collective of women sculptors named in honor of Enid Yandell. In recognition of her 150th birthday the group will have not one but TWO exhibits this fall:
ENID: Generations of Women Sculptors at the Louisville Free Public Library August 17 through October 8, 2019
ENID: Generations of Women Sculptors at Bellarmine University’s McGrath Gallery, September 7 through October 5, 2019.
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: 1992, Bachelor of Architecture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY; 1996, Master of Architecture, Minor Fine Arts, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; 2009, Master of Art in Teaching, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY
Website: www.shawnlmarshall.com
”February Mist” by Shawn Marshall, Oil on canvas, 36x36in, 2019
Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2018 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved. In addition to his work at the LVA, Keith is also the Managing Editor of a website, Arts-Louisville.com, which covers local visual arts, theatre, and music in Louisville.
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Artist Shawn Marshall
It may too often be seen as a Pop Culture cliché of Modern Art, but there is genuine reality to the idea of art as a direct, frequently cathartic expression of raw emotion; perhaps a means of exorcising negative and even destructive feelings. When looking at the work of Shawn Marshall, it is easy to believe that the rich plasticity of her medium is affording her exactly this opportunity; the layered build up of paint resulting in a heavy impasto that begs to be touched, so seductive is the textured surface.
“My painting is a meditative practice,” states Marshall, “an outlet to release intuitive energy and let go of preconceived notions and self-imposed rules or judgments of how I and my work interpret and portray the world. My ‘practice’ and expression are restorative for me, and often for others, as I create what I refer to as ‘Inward Landscapes.’”
"East Side" by Shawn Marshall, 48x24x1.5in, oil on canvas (2016)
Yet for all the rough quality, there is great subtlety in the placement of mark and color. The catharsis occurs within an artistic process of discipline developed from years of experience, and an unexpectedly schematic underlying visual structure that may point to Marshall’s training as an architect, in which she holds advanced degrees.
Marshall is the Visual Arts Teacher at North Oldham High School, Goshen, KY. In 2016 she was chosen for the 27th Annual International Juried Show, Viridian Artists Gallery, New York, NY, curated by Tumelo Mosaka, Independent Curator, former Curator at Krannert Art Museum and the Brooklyn Museum.
The next opportunity to see Marshall’s work is Inward Landscapes - a Solo Painting Exhibit by Shawn Marshall with guest sculptor Jeanne Dueber at PYRO Gallery from February 23 through April 8, 2017. There will be an Opening Reception Friday, February 24 from 6-9pm.
In March 2017 she will also be participating in Gridworks Revisited at the New Editions Gallery, Lexington, KY, and in the fall she will have work in the Contemporary Invitational Landscape Exhibit, McGrath Gallery, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY.
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 48
Education: 1992, Bachelor of Architecture, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY; 1996, Master of Architecture, Minor Fine Arts, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; 2009, Master of Art in Teaching, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY
Website: www.shawnlmarshall.com
"Excavating the Surface" by Shawn Marshall, 12x12x1.5in, oil on canvas (2016)
Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.
