Self Portrait ~ Casey Shannon and Service Dog, Gabe
Casey Shannon BFA, MS
Artist and Instructor
Artist Biography
I am a contemporary Sumi-e artist reaching beyond the limits of traditional
ink painting.
Thank you for visiting my website. Creating and building this site has
been a labor of passion and joy for me. So now, I'd like to tell you a little bit about my path as an artist and instructor.
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 the assistance of my service dog, Gabe.
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. Nineteen 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.
Click Here to read about my amazing journey of healing through the creative process and my Victory over Stroke.
Graduate HCI Team Casey and Gabe ~ Click pix to see a slide show of graduate teams. You'll cry!
Have you or someone you know had a stroke? Need assistance? Love is spoken here!
Click Here for Cabrillo College Stroke and Disability Center.
Order from Amazon. Click the photo.
This is a great reference. It is a book for stroke survivors, their friends and
family, their caregivers, and health care professionals. This book has many contributors. I wrote a chapter in this book called,
'Aha, There is a Reason'. My chapter starts on page 161. You can read an excerpt of my contribution by Clicking Here Click on the 'Preview this Book' button. Scroll to Casey Shannon.
Hawaii Canines for Independence ~ All Donations Accepted!
Click Here to learn more about my Service Dog Gabe and his wonderful trainers.
