***Original published in Crossroads This Week, March 1, 2019***
Former Kenton Artist Chosen for Ducks Unlimited National Art Portfolio
Celebrated equine artist and former resident of Kenton, Shannon Lawlor, is among those whose work is now up for auction as part of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) 2019 National Art Portfolio.
Shannon’s winning entry, Klasa, follows on last year’s winning DUC National Art Portfolio entry entitled Amigo. The artist sits among rarified company as her prints are included in the small offering whittled down from hundreds of submissions. She is also a rarity as a female artist who is competing in a genre dominated by men.
Shannon, who still has close family ties to Kenton, described her journey to becoming a self-employed Western style artist like this: “Growing up, I focused on two things, horses and drawing. When I wasn’t at home in town, I was out at the barn with the horses. Although rural Manitoba was a great place to grow up, I have made Alberta my home. The connections and networking for my art style were not available back home, so I sought opportunity out West. Perhaps, when I want to slow things down, I might swing back to Manitoba for that unique rural lifestyle of my childhood.”
With no formal art training, Shannon uses an ‘intuitive desire to put pencil to paper that has been there since before she could spell. She has carried her sketchbook from the prairie of her youth to the finest Arabian breeding farms deep in the heart of Poland.’ She then transforms her sketches to incredible works of Western art via the medium of acrylic paint on Baltic birch plywood.
According to her website, her work hangs in the most authentic ranches of the Canadian West, as well as office towers, hotels, and urban homes. You would have to be a serious art collector if you wanted one of her creations as even her prints can run into the thousands of dollars. But patrons of equine art would definitely find the investment worthwhile.
Shannon’s humble beginnings have never diminished her drive and sheer talent. She has a critically acclaimed international reputation and has received numerous accolades. Besides the DUC prints and recognition, over the last decade her work has been exhibited at numerous North American Western and Equine art shows. She has been featured on several covers of Agricultural and Horse magazines. Since 2008, she has been a prominent feature artist at the Calgary Stampede. Then in February 2020, she will be honoured with a Fellowship and as a Master Artist for a prestigious ‘Art of the Cowgirl’ gathering at Corona Ranch near Phoenix, AZ.
“My art has been my life for about 15 years and I am honoured that organizations like Ducks Unlimited Canada see fit to feature it. I support DUC’s conservation efforts and I feel good about submitting my work to this worthy organization.”
The purpose of the National Art Portfolio is to spark an appreciation for conservation through the emotional connection Canadians have with nature. The 2019 collection highlights the importance of Canada’s natural environment to Canadian lifestyles.
“Among our greatest challenges in wetland conservation is transforming how people relate to the natural world,” says Karla Guyn, CEO of DUC. “Artists have a unique ability to evoke people’s feelings about the importance of our land, water, and wildlife.”
DUC has partnered with artists on the National Art Portfolio since 1986. The auction of the annually released collection raises funds for DUC’s conservation work. Shannon’s winning entry, along with the other seven prints on offer for 2019, can be viewed at www.ducks.ca/2019NAP.
Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.