Check Out Shelley Preston’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelley Preston.

Hi Shelley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve made some sort of art. I am a black and white fine art photographer and a large-scale abstract painter. About nine years ago, I spent a year nestled in the Northern Rockies, just on the edge of Glacier National Park. That’s where I began painting with watercolors. I fell in love with the delicate and whimsical swirl when I dabbed my brush onto paper. I had no idea what I was formally doing, but I had stars in my eyes! I’ve had a fair amount of tragedy in my life, and I’ve used art as therapy and a means to ground myself. I find a lot of inspiration in pain, and in some ways, I wondered if by being inspired by pain, I attracted more.

Watercolors led me to acrylics because I wanted to paint big, to match my big emotions. A few years ago, I found myself having a conversation with a friend’s mom, who is also an artist. I had expressed my desire to paint large but felt restricted by the small coverage of watercolors. She transformed my life because she directed me to use acrylics just as I would watercolors – just add water! There are rules, but really, are those rules meant to always be followed? She blew my whole world wide open, and since, I have been painting ethereal, watercolor-esque abstract acrylics for years. I even landed my own featured art show in September 2020 at The Paper Plate Gallery here in Austin.

While it’s true that I find inspiration in emotional pain, I consider myself an eternal optimist. I trust that the bumps along the road have forged a path for myself that is full of love and happiness. My most recent painting, “Warrior II”, was painted during a beautiful, budding relationship where I was experiencing bravery in speaking my truth. I remember how freeing and comforting it felt to talk about the scariest and most tragic things and for those moments to be met with compassion and acceptance. I feel like life is like a string of lights, sometimes. There are defining, beautiful moments that exist in the lightbulb, and they light up your path in guidance. Those lights, and the people you encounter that make that light shine, is the most wonderful thing in the world.

I have a dear friend who is a documentary filmmaker and once described me as the most colorful person she knows. She was baffled by the fact that my paintings are so vibrant, but I adore black and white photography. I remember it taking a while to reach an understanding because black and white could be viewed as stripping a scene of all the color. But I see it as capturing the light in a timeless elegance. There is a warmth that I feel from viewing an image in black and white, especially from a scene I’ve witnessed in color. It often feels like I’ve draped a cashmere blanket on my visual perception. I pay attention to the shapes created by the way light falls on and in between objects. You can take a photo in color and also take the photo in monochrome, and the feelings depicted can be completely different. For one, this fascinates me, but also, I love the timeless feel black and white photography holds. Photographing the world in black and white also teaches me to view the world in a different way (through a different lens, if you will. I also grew up watching I Love Lucy, so perhaps I am a product of old television. Every moment has shaped me and my art into what it is today, and I’m grateful for it all … even the hard times.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has not been a smooth road. While I have a million things to be grateful for, I’ve encountered quite a bit of tragedy in my life. In the last three years alone, I’ve been dealing with major losses. My family suddenly and unexpectedly lost the centerpiece to our family, my stepdad. It has been a struggle to deal with not only my own grief but to hold the grief of the rest of my family. Five days before he passed, I was laid off from a career that I had put all of my heart and soul into and moved back home to Texas again. Though at the time, these things made me feel like my world had come to an end, I found some light. I painted through the pain. Life is all about change, and I’ve learned to surrender to the universe. Everything has a cycle. Trees lose their leaves but bloom again in the spring. My goal is to become softer and more loving with each obstacle. I think the most important thing that I learned through all of this is that the people that are meant to be in your life will love you 1000%. They will love you through your good days and love you even harder on your bad days. Keep those people close!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am both a fine art black and white photographer and a large-scale abstract painter. I create art for your walls. I specialize in capturing a feeling or emotion that transforms the feel of a room when you walk into it. I work with clients to create a color palette, a vibe, and other goals for the piece. My work is ethereal and mysterious, often giving you a sense of calmness. I aim to create an inviting aura to your home.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
One of the biggest risks I’ve taken in my life is moving to Chicago for a new career. I didn’t know a soul there, and I certainly didn’t know what a real winter was like. The closest family to me was 1,700 miles away. Even though this career ended much quicker than I would have wanted, the experience I gained and the friendships I made were so worth the risk. The ending to that period of time looked different than I expected, but I carry all the lessons learned with me, and if given the chance would do it all over again. So yes, I look at risk as experience gained. I think you have to be methodical about a risk and make the smartest decisions possible.

Pricing:

• Commissioned Paintings – $300 – $2000

Contact Info:

• Email: shelley@shelleypreston.com
• Website: www.shelleypreston.com
• Instagram: @shellsbells.bw @shelleyprestongallery

Image Credits:
Shelley Preston