Lynnette Shelley is a Pennsylvania artist specializing in contemporary mixed media paintings and illustrations, primarily of animals. Having a great love of wildlife, fairytales, and world mythology, Lynnette fuses these influences into her strikingly unique artworks. Her paintings strike a primal chord in many viewers, with almost Jungian associations to the colors and shapes. Her zoomorphic animal art and folklore-inspired creations are both primitive and sophisticated, and have been likened to images from an undiscovered ancient civilization or culture.
"One of my primary interests has always been exploring legends and stories from around the world. Why are certain motifs ubiquitous across cultures and continents? These archetypal stories are told repeatedly in different guises throughout myth and folklore, and animals are often used to convey these mysteries. Whether painted on cave walls, portrayed as omens or worshiped as personifications of the gods, animals were a favorite theme for our ancestors. My artwork takes a closer look at this archetypal animal kingdom. Reinterpreted through abstraction, decorative element and contemporary vision, these creatures speak to our collective unconscious."
"In addition, I like to paint artworks incorporating endangered or extinct animals, and also unusual animals, to bring awareness to what we as humans are doing to our planet, as well as to explore all the varieties of life around us."
Lynnette is represented by Countryside Gallery in Newtown, PA, Nichols Berg Gallery in Philadelphia, and Mullica Hill Art Center in NJ. She is also a member of InLiquid, a Philadelphia-based non-profit arts organization, and the Art Association of Harrisburg.
Originally from Delaware, Lynnette currently lives and works out of Ambler, PA.
Visit Lynnette's website at http://www.lynnetteshelley.com.