Born in New Orleans in 1973, Shelley Hesse has been exposed to a culture rich in art and imagery. Her French roots led her to Paris in her early twenties where she discovered her true calling was to be an artist.

Shelley works primarily in watercolor, gouache, pastel, pencil and ink on fine paper. Self-taught, she prefers independent study and travel to the classroom, which has allowed her to develop a unique style – a fusion of realism and fantasy. Clients around the world have embraced Shelley’s work.

Hesse currently resides in Metairie, Lousiana.

ARTIST STATEMENT:
“The creative process for me is a constant journey because it asks me to pass through many layers of myself until I reach as far as I can go to land in a place of pure love and bliss. My deepest inspirations are nature and my two children who seem to teach me far more than I could ever teach them. Nature has been my guide my whole life. Especially as a young girl who spent so much time drawing and watching the beauty of the outside world unfold around her. It gave me my own voice, though I did not realize it at the time. Around the age of 12, I switched from drawing to writing and did not go back to painting until I was 24. I still write in much the same way that I paint: fluidly and with map or knowing ahead of time where I will end up. It does not seem up to me, but rather a story or a moment in time that I am allowed to express in paint or in words. I am most deeply concerned about the animals whose lives are in most critical danger. I hope to be a voice for them and to capture them in the state of grace, beauty and safety that they deserve. Without them, we are lost even if we do not know it. A portion of each piece that is sold goes back to the not-for-profits who work so tirelessly to protect our beautiful planet. For no person is left untouched by the relentless beauty of our magnificent animals and all of the flora which surrounds them.”