Shelby Keefe
Wisconsin artist Shelby Keefe paints in a bold, realistic style uniquely her own. In 2005, after a career in graphic design, she became a full-time painter traveling the country participating in plein air competitions, art festivals and teaching workshops. Her distinctive style has received national notice, having been published on the covers of both Southwest Art and Plein Air Magazines. In 2013, she was the Plein Air Salon Competition Grand Prize Winner.
An in-demand teacher, Keefe has an instructional video, “Painting From Photographs" published by Liliedahl, as well being comfortable painting on stage to music as a performance artist. Her newest passion is helping artists find their own voice by facilitating "Creative Expression Playshops" in her Milwaukee studio. Keefe is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, and American Women Artists.
Some recent achievements:
• Best of Show, Cedarburg Art Museum, Cedarburg, WI 2019
• Third Place Award, Wayne Plein Air, 2019
• Award of Distinction, American Impressionist Society Annual Juried Exhibition, 2018
• Received three awards for one painting at the 3rd Annual Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, 2017
• Earned a Distinctive Merit Award, Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational, 2016
• First Prize Winner-Quick Draw, Plein Air Easton! 2016
• Grand Prize Winner, EnPlein Air Texas, 2015
• Awarded $20,000 Dorothy Dreihaus Melins Fellowship for Midwestern Artists, at Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, 2015
• Featured Artist/Cover Artist, SouthwestArt magazine, March 2015 issue
• PleinAir Magazine Salon Competition Grand Prize Winner, 2013
Artist Statement:
I am passionate about drawing and depicting my subjects with honesty as well as expressiveness. My goal is to create a fresh perspective to the recognizable world without being predictable or mundane. Being comfortable at rendering in oil paint, I enjoy tackling a wide variety of complex subjects from townscapes and architecture, to old trucks and horses, as well as the human figure. I utilize a vibrant underpainting technique of complimentary colors, which gives my paintings a sparkle that draws the viewer in. As I continue to grow as a representationalist painter, I strive to develop my ability to say more with less.
www.studioshelby.com
An in-demand teacher, Keefe has an instructional video, “Painting From Photographs" published by Liliedahl, as well being comfortable painting on stage to music as a performance artist. Her newest passion is helping artists find their own voice by facilitating "Creative Expression Playshops" in her Milwaukee studio. Keefe is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, and American Women Artists.
Some recent achievements:
• Best of Show, Cedarburg Art Museum, Cedarburg, WI 2019
• Third Place Award, Wayne Plein Air, 2019
• Award of Distinction, American Impressionist Society Annual Juried Exhibition, 2018
• Received three awards for one painting at the 3rd Annual Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, 2017
• Earned a Distinctive Merit Award, Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational, 2016
• First Prize Winner-Quick Draw, Plein Air Easton! 2016
• Grand Prize Winner, EnPlein Air Texas, 2015
• Awarded $20,000 Dorothy Dreihaus Melins Fellowship for Midwestern Artists, at Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, 2015
• Featured Artist/Cover Artist, SouthwestArt magazine, March 2015 issue
• PleinAir Magazine Salon Competition Grand Prize Winner, 2013
Artist Statement:
I am passionate about drawing and depicting my subjects with honesty as well as expressiveness. My goal is to create a fresh perspective to the recognizable world without being predictable or mundane. Being comfortable at rendering in oil paint, I enjoy tackling a wide variety of complex subjects from townscapes and architecture, to old trucks and horses, as well as the human figure. I utilize a vibrant underpainting technique of complimentary colors, which gives my paintings a sparkle that draws the viewer in. As I continue to grow as a representationalist painter, I strive to develop my ability to say more with less.
www.studioshelby.com
