Hello! My name is Shelby. I am a graphic designer by trade, artist at heart, full-time business woman, but most importantly, I am a wife and mother of two beautiful kids, Henderick (Henry) and Charlotte (Charlie).
Art and design has always been a passion of mine. Some of my earliest memories are drawing and painting at my kitchen table. At thirty-four, you can still find me painting at our dining room table. I can't think of a better way to spend my free time than listening to music and drawing, designing, or painting.
Shelby, 2, painting at the dining room table (1990)
“HENRY HAS TAUGHT ME HOW TO SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY
AND IT TRULY IS AMAZING.”
In 2011, I graduated from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with a BFA in Communication Design with a concentration in graphic design and advertising design. Graphic design was a way I could implement my love for art by communicating messages and ideas for companies visually.
In 2016, I made a decision to quit the nine-to-five and took a risk to work for myself and start a business. By 2019, I had worked with nearly twenty-five clients, grew my career as a graphic designer, and even redesigned and project managed a restaurant interior design project (while pregnant with my son). Even though I loved graphic design, I knew once my son was born I needed to move away from client services and focus on my personal projects at my own pace.
Motherhood has had the greatest impact on my identity. I love working with kids, especially shaping their minds and encouraging creativity and imagination. However, how I imagined motherhood ended up looking a bit different. At eighteen months, Henry was showing signs of being on the autism spectrum (ASD) and at the age of two, he received an official diagnosis. With his diagnosis came weekly therapies and challenges. Despite the hard work, I would not change him for the world. He is Henry. Henry has taught me how to see the world differently and it truly is amazing. Imaginative play isn't something that comes naturally to him, but I see he loves puzzles, task-based activities, and art. So, I taught him how to paint - an activity we both love and enjoy. It brings me so much happiness watching him explore the world of art and creating as I did at his age.
Henry, 2, painting and drawing at the dining room table (2022)
“I WANT MY ARTWORK TO FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE OBSERVING
A MOMENT IN TIME.”
After spending ten years in Maryland, my husband and I moved our family to mountainous central Pennsylvania. Some of my favorite places in the world are places where you can find the mountains and hills. Coming back to Pennsylvania made me realize how much I miss and love the mountains and nature. It grounds me. I want my artwork to feel as though you are observing a moment in time and you will pull it out of your box full of memories and think about it again. A lot of my experiences, things I've come across, and travels around the world have felt like these small, beautiful moments. From watching thunderstorms pass on my porch as a child in the summers, traveling all around the Scottish Highlands, and exploring backroads to nowhere in New England — these are all memories I keep with me.