Bio/ CV/ Artist Statement
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Artist Bio
Shelly J. Cox
Shelly is a contemporary realist oil painter who lives and works in the horse community of Jupiter Farms, Florida, USA. Born in Kentucky, Shelly has returned to her roots with the her new series Westerns In Wood collection. While Shelly did graduate from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Florida with a degree in commercial illustration, she is a self-taught oil painter. With a relentless desire to advance her skill, Shelly works regularly with her mentor Living Master Tina Garrett and attends workshops with the top realist artists of today.
Westerns In Wood is the collaboration between the husband-and-wife team of Shelly and Greg Vandermeulen. Greg is a firefighter who enjoys working with wood while Shelly has been painting professionally for many years. She continues to sign her work in her maiden name, Cox.
Currently Shelly has combined her love for painting the figure and portraits with education. She has a thriving YouTube channel which focuses on teaching portraiture and offers step-by-step painting tutorial videos. You will find the artist is in her studio daily working on her Westerns In Wood collection unless she is on location shooting her reference photos. This series of westerns reflects Shelly's longing to live in the West surrounded by the mountains and the Cowboy's way of life. She wants people to remember American heritage with focus on the more positive aspects. The artist also believes she is paying tribute and honoring the Native American heritage by painting them and helping people to remember their way of life and how it was tied closely to nature. Shelly spends time researching her Native subjects to be sure she is being respectful and capturing even the smallest detail correctly.
Shelly is a proud member of the Portrait Society of America, American Women Artists, Women Artists Of The West, and Oil Painters Of America. She has been published in art books and won several awards.
Shelly's focus is on improving her technical skills while pushing the boundaries of her creativity. She is painting full time and her learning process includes studying paintings by the Masters of the past and the great artists of today. Shelly states,” in being a self- taught portrait / figurative artist, each painting brings me a feeling of integrity and accomplishment.”
When Shelly is not painting westerns, she is taking on portrait commissions. Shelly has been painting commissioned portraits since 2007. She has developed a new modern style of portraiture she calls "Persona Portraits" where the head is painted realistically and the background elements further tell the story of the sitter in a more illustrative manner. She has also developed another distinct portrait style she calls her "Rockwellian" style. This developed after she intensely studied the works of Norman Rockwell. For this series Shelly uses the pseudonym Norma Cockwell.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Western themed art is something I have always wanted to paint. It wasn’t until now that I felt my skills are up to the challenge. Oil paint is my medium, but what makes my work unique is the exotic wood accents that my husband and I create. Each painting gets a specially selected wood accent based on its composition and emotion. The wood we source is reclaimed. No trees have been harmed in the making of my art!
Traveling to photo shoots where I can get my own reference images of cowboys and ranch life is a priority for my work. This includes rodeos and pow wows. From my latest travels, I have planned 19 paintings for my series Westerns In Wood. Each one tells a story of American life from about the mid 1800’s. While my work depicts realism, I let my bold brush strokes stand proudly for a painterly look. Experimenting with mark making is my favorite part of this process.
Growing up in Kentucky and spending Summers at my grandparent’s farm, I experienced a taste of this lifestyle firsthand. Memories that fuel my work today.
This new series can be seen here
www.westernsinwood.com
Shelly J. Cox, Artist
Jupiter, Florida
PH: 561-250-2772
Email: [email protected]
Education:
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
ASSOCIATES OF ARTS IN FASHION ILLUSTRATION YEARS ATTENDED 1982-1985
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Broward Community College
ASSOCIATES OF ARTS DEGREE IN PRE-MED YEARS ATTENDED 1992-1994
(Graduated Sum Cum Laude) Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
South University
ASSOCIATES OF SCIENCE IN YEARS ATTENDED 1995-1997
PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSISTING West Palm Beach, Florida
Institute Of Children's Literature
Successful Completion of Requisite Course of Study: YEARS ATTENDED 2000-2002
Writing For Children And Teenagers West Redding, Connecticut
Armory Art Center
Painting and Sculpting Courses- Non Degree YEARS ATTENDED 2005 to Present
West Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach State College
Beginning Photoshop Course- Non Degree YEARS ATTENDED 2011 to Present
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Baumgaertner Atelier
Baumgaertner Mentoring Portrait Workshop YEAR ATTENDED May 2011 La Crosse, Wisconsin
Miami Portrait Academy YEAR ATTENDED Nov 2012
Featuring Renowned portrait artist Miami, Florida
David Chang, Hodges Soileau, &Kerry Vosler
Tina Garrett Portrait Workshop YEAR ATTENDED June 2017
Tina Garrett Mentorship Program YEAR ATTENDED Sept 2018 to Present
AWARDS:
2019 American Art Awards 1st place in Humor category for "A Painter's Problem".
2019 American Art Awards 3rd place in Religious or Spiritual category for "Earth Mother."
2019 Gateway International Painting Competition March Finalist for "Requiem".
2019 Gateway International Painting Competition April Best In Show for "Anointed".
2019 Gateway International Painting Competition July Finalist for "Grounded".
2019 Contemporary Art Gallery Figure/Portrait Competition 8th place for "Requiem".
2016 Artists Of The Palm Beaches Portrait Exhibit Featured Artist "April Fools" & "GHV"
2013 Winner BEST EMERGING ARTIST for Artigas Palm Beach Fl
2013 Talentcall Competition Emotions In Portrait 1st Place for "GHV A Portrait"
Group Exhibitions:
- 2013 Artigras , Palm Beach Gardens, FL. (Emerging Artist 1st Place Winner)
- 2012 pARTicipation, Artist Of The Palm Beaches at Art Armory, WPB, FL
- 2012 Annual Ellen Art Show, Los Angeles, CA
- 2012 Art, Eats, Beats, & Treats, Downtown at the Gardens, Included Live Art Demonstrations, Art Nouveau Event
- 2011 Nude Nites, Tampa, FL
- 2011 Nude Nites, Orlando, FL
- 2011 Armory After Hours: Inferno, West Palm Beach, FL
- 2010 Art Undressed, Miami, FL
- 2010 Whateva’ Works World Erotic Art Show, Hollywood, FL
- 2010 Exxxotica Expo, Miami, FL
- 2010 Nude Nites, Orlando, FL
- 2010 Nude Nites, Tampa, FL
- 2009 The Montgomery Gallery at The Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL
- 2009 Too Bizarre, Jupiter, FL
- 2009 The Food Shack, Jupiter, FL
- 2008 Art In The Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
- 2008 Artist Wanted, International Web Gallery
Portrait / Fine Art Commissions
2018 M.T. Jupiter, FL-Portrait - Fantasy Style
2016 E. Lightman, Palm Beach Gardens, FL - Custom Fine Art
2015 E. Lightman, Palm Beach Gardens, FL- Custom Fine Art
2015 M. F. Tequesta, FL - Mural
2014 D. Santos, Jupiter, FL - Custom Fine Art
- 2014 R. P. Jupiter, FL, Classic Portrait
- 2013 S. Spicer, Jupiter, FL-Classic Child
- 2013 D. Applegren Palm Beach Gardens, FL-Special Request
- 2013 M. Kraemmer, Jupiter, FL –Classic Child
- 2013 G. Bingham, North palm Beach, FL-Posthumous Portrait/ wife
- 2012 M. Dean, Palm Beach, Florida- Rockwellian Style
- 2012 J. Steiner, Boca Raton, Florida- Classic
- 2012 J. Bridges, Jupiter, Florida- Cameo
- 2012 T. Verno, Jupiter, Florida-Cameo
- 2012 D. Mckessey, Jupiter, Florida-Classic
- 2012 K. Aggyval, Jupiter, Florida- Classic Mother Daughter
- 2011 C. Riccarrdo, Jupiter, Florida-Rockwellian Style
- 2011 F. Bruni, Jupiter, Florida-Classic Pet
- 2011 S. Lynn, Miami, Florida- Fantasy Style
- 2011 S. Pallo, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida-Rockwellian Style
- 2010 S. Jean, Miami, Florida-Fantasy Style
- 2010 A. Barney, West Palm Beach, Florida-Classic Wedding
- 2010 L. Roth, Jupiter, Florida-Classic Pet
- 2009 G. Hundley, Orlando, Florida-Classic Family w/ Pets
- 2009 G. Hundley, Orland, Florida-Special Request Velvet Elvis
- 2009 L. Nedin, Key West, Florida-Close Up Style
- 2009 L. Westcott, Palm City, Florida-Fantasy Style
- 2009 J. Webster, Jupiter, Florida- Family in Fantasy Style
- 2008 M. Knapp, West Palm Beach, Florida-Classic
- 2007 L. Voellinger, North Palm Beach, Florida-Fairytale Style
Collections
- 2007 Miami Girls – Owned by James and Linda Westcott, FL
- 2007 Sonya – Owned by Livan and Sioban Torres, FL
- 2007 Lust – Owned by Mr. Gregory VanderMeulen, FL
- 2008 Despair – Owned by Ms. Ora Rockwood, FL
- 2010 Shadow Beach – Owned by Mr. Adam Hoffman, NY
Publications:
2013 Florida Weekly, ArtiGras announces winners in art competitions
2013 PBG Lifestyle Magazine, Art From The Heart by Amy Woods
2011 “Worlds Greatest Erotic Art Of Today,” Vol. 4
Art Included: Rosie by Norma Cockwell
A Painter’s Problem by Norma Cockwell
Welcome To Eroticville by Norma Cockwell
Interviews
- 2010 Telemundo Television, Miami, FL
- 2010 The Screamin Sam Show Live Internet TV and Radio Show
- 2010 Da-basement 305 with Andre “Soul” Williams for EyoUrbanTV.com
Art Associations
- SEE|ME artist community, Member since 2013
- Portrait Society Of America, Member since 2012
- Artist Of The Palm Beaches, Member since 2010
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