Lynne Shephard

Art Reception:  Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 12-2pm

“As a late bloomer to art in a dedicated major, I was almost 40 years old when I graduated from Cal State, Hayward (East Bay) with a BA in art.  I began right away working on paintings full of vigor and ideals for wanting to express to the world my vision of modern life.  This soon gave way to a steady, uphill struggle to survive as an artist after art school in a world of thousands of artists trying to do the same thing.  It didn’t take long for me to discover that I needed to break loose from the pack and nurture my inner voice.  Fortunately, I had plenty of mentoring, sympathetic and seasoned artists to keep me afloat.

“I was born in Alameda and raised in San Leandro, CA.  I have lived in Livermore for more than 50 years.  I established a studio called the Firehouse Art Studios and have happily worked there for at least 25 years.

“I like to express myself in abstract terms.  Spatial qualities and content are the concers I feel are most important to my development of an original voice.  Along the way, I have retooled my style with materials that are compatible with a growing need on my part, to use safer, less hazardous ones. Thus, the birth of acrylic paint materials in my paintings.

“I think abstract art asks more of its audience in transcribing visual information.  I try to give viewers something to ponder about and to play with visually in my abstract art.  I like to hear from those who have done just that.

“Through teaching, I have been truly rewarded with students who are eager to find their own voices.  I feel confident that I am passing along an excellent heritage of art information that I have acquired, not only in art school, but also from my continued self-education of varied art phases.

“I am an artist.  I am a journeyman.  For me, the path through a painting is always a visual adventure.  I strive for an expression of wonder and presence.” – Lynne Shephard