Casey Shannon Studio: The Sound of One Hand

I am a contemporary Sumi-e painter reaching beyond the limits of traditional ink painting. My artistic journey began, like many artists, in grammar school and continued through high school. I seemed to be happiest and closest to my spirit with pen and brush in my hand. After graduating high school, I found myself enrolled in Chouinard Art Institute in downtown Los Angeles, which is now California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA. In Art College, I bloomed as an artist learning techniques and then learning to break all the rules, eventually beginning to develop my own style. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) degree. I was a fashion designer in the garment district in downtown LA for a short while. I even owned and operated a small boutique in North Hollywood. I soon realized this was not the career for me. I returned to college and went to California State University, Los Angeles and earned my Teaching Credential. I taught art in public high school in Santa Ana for over 10 years. I had found my calling. My teaching specialty was drawing and painting. Students enjoyed my art classes and frequently won local art contests. During this time, I was a free lance artist exhibiting and selling my artwork locally along the Southern California coast. You never really know what life has in store for you. Several years ago, I encountered an event that would change my life forever. I experienced a massive brain-stem stroke four days after my 36th birthday. In an instant, I was paralyzed. I could not breathe, speak, walk, and I lost the use of my dominant right hand. Needless to explain, this was very devastating and the prognosis for my recovery was bleak. I worked very hard in rehabilitation (years actually) and eventually learned to talk again and walk with assistance. However, I did not recover the use of my dominant right arm and hand. So, I taught myself to draw with my left hand and used this activity and my drawings as an integral part of my stroke recovery. As soon as I could sit up in a wheel chair, I began drawing with a vengeance. I just intuitively knew art would save my life. There is something about the creative process that is absolute healing. I knew this deep inside myself. I eventually recovered enough to head back to college attending California State University, Long Beach. I earned a Master of Science (MS) in Counseling and shortly after graduation moved to Santa Cruz, CA., where I began teaching and counseling at Cabrillo College in Aptos. Seventeen years later, I am still teaching at Cabrillo College and loving every minute of it. However, I no longer live in Santa Cruz. I have moved to the beautiful and majestic Carmel Valley. Carmel Valley is a magical place and is very inspiring to the artist's eye. I have been so at peace here nestled under the Oak Trees. I enjoy watching the many Carmel Valley critters and birds in their daily activities. There is a time of day, just at dusk, when the valley mountains, turn shades of purple colors that are unbelievably spectacular. Carmel Valley is a perfect spot for any artist to live and create. Hence, the creation and development of Casey Shannon Studio.