Art Photographer & Pastel Artist
Shirley grew up in rural South Jersey where she developed an appreciation for the beauty in simple things, a love of nature, and a practical resourcefulness. These earthy values have guided her life long interest in art, and she has been inspired to see found art in things as diverse as design in urban street cleaning carts and manhole covers to patterns in sand and textures in river stones.
She holds a BS in Art Education from the University of Delaware and has also studied at the University of the Arts, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Fleisher Memorial, all in Philadelphia, PA.
In her photography she looks for composition, design, and texture that will transform into a piece of art. Her photos emerge from experiences and images that she wants both to preserve and to share with others. The darkroom is used as a creative tool in turning her photos into art works.
Currently Shirley is also working in pastels and producing limited edition giclees from her pastel paintings. These works reflect the beaches and byways of Cape May County and Ocean City, NJ where she resides, as well as varied and unique subjects from extensive foreign travel experiences.
She has won a variety of awards and honors including an Ocean City Art Center award for photography, first place in both pastels and photography from the Society of New Jersey Artists, best of the show at the Granite Run Mall, and third place for a pastel at the Riverfront Renaissance Center of the Arts.