Harbingers of Spring

Shannon Richardson

Shannon Richardson studied Fine Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR. Her junior year was spent abroad, where she immersed herself in the unique and highly concentrated PNCA Rome program. Shannon earned her Bachelor of Fine Art in painting, graduating with honors, in 2002.

Shannon’s exceptional story-filled life has enabled her to create works of depth and intensity that are rare for one so young. Her work acknowledges the severity of life, while expressing the undeniable poignancy of the human condition. Though inspired from real life experiences, these dream-like paintings transcend the literal. The works reflect a blurring of the boundaries between memory and reality. Visual fairy tales, they are often intertwined with an element of the fantastic, which serves to further infuse the works with a sense of romance and reverie.

Shannon’s paintings, though informed by deeply intimate perspectives, resonate with universal themes. They serve as templates through which the viewer’s relatedness in the world can be acknowledged and experienced. The common ground is shared emotion.

In 2006, Shannon received the distinction of being named by Southwest Art Magazine as one of “21 Artists Under the Age of 31 to Collect Now.” PDX Magazine also recognized Shannon as one of ten contemporary artists in the Northwest in the article titled, “Fine Young Things”.

Shannon currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon in the beautiful studio her husband built.  With her husband, Groshong, and two pugs, Yin and Yoda, Shannon paints every day, enjoys the simplest of pleasures in her garden and is amazed daily by the power of creativity.

Her work has been broadly exhibited, and hangs in collections both home and abroad.

There is only honesty in the true moment of something, after that it is just the illusion of memory. But it is these memories that serve as the catalyst for inspiration. I do not intend to render through these works my own personal experiences, I do not wish to share my secrets, I bury these truths below layers of paint, which creates a narrative between reality and fantasy. When these two perceptions intertwine I am able to separate myself from the memory and allow objective observation and imaginative interplay to connect.  The work transcends the boundaries between memory and fantasy with an added element of the fantastic; this infuses the works with a sense of romance and reverie.  I am able to take some of the gravity of life and turn it into something tangible and beautiful, but not quite real. They are memories as I wish I could remember them.  The truth becomes the fable and what I find is not myself, but more the shadow of self and the remnants of dreams.  This is a way to be honest without being accurate. In the most private of settings painting allows me to commemorate the occasion of self-discovery, and to understand, with sensitivity, the severity of being honest with myself.

Many of you may not know this, but two of the paintings in this show were recently used as the artwork for a CD, benefiting the National Muscular Sclerosis Society (NMSS)! We are proud to feature Shannon's exceptional work!  

Information about the musicians involved with the CD and purchase orders can be found on their website:
http://www.inmyroomontheweb.com

Day Dreams Hurdles I Found Love In The Deep Blue Sea I Will Meet You There In My Room In My Room Side B My Cloudy Girls Portrait With Sky The Bridal Party The Child Looked Forward