YOUR HIGHEST SELF Painting

ABOUT SHELLY L. FRANZ BORN IN SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, IN A SMALL COUNTRY TOWN CALLED JAMUL. SHELLY CURRENTLY LIVES AND WORKS IN KENSINGTON, CALIFORNIA. Being creative has always been a way of life for Shelly. She is a San Diego native and inherently self taught. Creativity has allowed her a deep sense of expression and unbridled freedom through the years. Her relationship to painting is a delicate dance of give and take. During the painting process she allows her ‘Girls’ to lead her, letting them flow into a representation of their own. Pockets of emotion show through with each application, exposing vivid hues and fluid edging. The Feminine Spirit is an abundant messenger that deliberately guides her along the canvas. Shelly has an unyielding pull to paint bewitching figures, that honor their allegiance to both their light and shadow side. Not to be perceived as damsels, but merely blithe, enchanting women that possess the gift of peculiar seduction. She considers women divine Mythical Goddesses, that hold arresting power, when they learn to value and treasure their individual intuition. There is an aloofness to her figures, with their quizzical gaze, provocative blase mood, all suggesting a sense of longing. She is guided, mindful of her intent and intimate thoughts, she is a tender Muse. Time spent both in France and Italy have influenced each piece and in their own way convey an aged, ethereal-abstraction. Her appreciation towards Mythology, love for the mountains, and listening to the quiet voice within are her deepest source of inspiration. The verbal narrative is also an important facet of the Artist work as there is an emergence of cloaked words throughout the pieces.