About Me

I’m an artist and explorer of all things creative.

My studio, Alchemy Artisan Works, is all about artistic exploration. I see taking the raw materials and creating a work of art as a kind of alchemy. I especially love to create “functional art”, taking ordinary items and making them extraordinary with surface designs and specialty finishes. 

I also love the transformative experience art can create when I can help another person connect with their own creativity.

While I admire artists who have a singular "voice" or artistic style, my own art is incredibly diverse. I have explored sewing Elizabethan court attire, drawing with pencil & pastels, painting with acrylic, oil, and alcohol ink, photography, gardening (yes, it's an art form), interior faux finish painting, artistically altered furniture, fabric dying, and a 40+ year career in hair and nail artistry. I guess you could say I'm quite a chameleon when it comes to my art!

My current passions are resin artistry, watercolor painting & mixed media, and digital illustration. I am inspired most by the lines, light & shadows, textures, and colors found in nature. The fluid and unpredictable aspects of working with alcohol inks, watercolors, epoxy resin and dyes seems best to capture the qualities of “perfect imperfection” I love most about the natural world. 

My own favorite pieces are the happy accidents that occur unexpectedly, when I stop working from a preconceived idea, and allow the colors and images to emerge and reveal themselves to me, intuitively. 

The creative process for me is the ultimate form of meditation. Getting lost in the act of creation is where I find the most sublime moments of peace, and freedom from the stresses of everyday life. It's my direct line to Zen! It is my firm belief that exercising creative expression (without criticism or judgment) is as essential to a full life as nourishing your body with food, water, and physical activity is. I am truly happiest when I can share my gifts of creativity and artistic expression with others. 

Whether it be through my own creations, or through the process of helping others to explore their own creativity, it is always my desire to inspire joy.  

Cheers!

Shanda