Shawn’s art speaks distinctively of the heritage and history of a ranching lifestyle that is surviving in a modern day world.  Her cowboys are sincere and purposeful, her horses are graceful and her landscapes are inviting.  

With her ability to accurately portray the American West, many are surprised to learn that she is a woman.  However, Shawn paints events in her everyday life.  Both of her parents are products of Arizona pioneer ranching families whose legacy spans over 130 years in Arizona.   

As a child Shawn experienced the joys and tribulations of cattle ranching life and in this same rural environment she, and her husband Dean, raised their three children. Their remote world was wonderful yet difficult at times.  Many years were spent miles from town without electricity, telephone or other amenities of modern life.  Nature affected them in a personal way.  As a family, they shared the hope and promise of a cloud filled sky, and smelled the muddy river rising after a storm.  Horses, cattle, cowboys and dust were common elements of their world. She and Dean remain in the cattle business, today but enjoy a more modern lifestyle and live a little closer to town.

She gives credit to the Lord, her personal experiences and her family’s heritage for her unique perspective. She has a deep, personal appreciation and respect for the true cowboy and the elements of his world.  There is a nobility about him.  As Poet Utah Phillips wrote about the cowboy, “If dirt were a kingdom, then he would be king.”  

There are many subjects to paint and she enjoys the beauty in all she sees, but she continues to be drawn to record the unique life and qualities of the cowboy.  Her subjects are real - her husband, son, other family members and the cowboys that work their cattle with them.  She can call the horses by name, with ranch landmarks serving as the backdrop in many scenes. 

 She studied art in high school and college and continued her education at Scottsdale Artist’s School and Fechin Art Institute.  She has had a number of mentors but gives credit to Arizona cowboy artists Bill Owen and Joe Beeler as major influences in her career.   “As a young artist, wife, and mother on an isolated Arizona ranch, their encouragement meant more than they could realize.  Their continued interest caused me to see myself as a serious artist,” she said. “I will always be thankful.”  Bob “Shoofly” Shufelt also served as a strong catalyst as she began her career.   

Her primary medium is oil but she has also worked in pencil, pastel, watercolor and clay.  Her first bronze was cast in 2006 and the edition nearly sold out within one year.   She feels that working in a three dimensional form has enhanced her painting with more insight into her subject matter.