Meet Shannon Fannin of Art by Shan Fannin in Austin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Fannin.

Shannon, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Many years ago, I received a scholarship to become a special needs art teacher for college, but never finished a semester. Instead, I got married, went into the workforce, had a family, homeschooled our son for 16yrs, and owned a business. When our son started college in fall 2012, I decided to take a few art classes at our local community college. I was happy with abstract figurative drawing, and thought I would focus on that.

In fall of 2014, my husband added a 1961 Ford Thunderbird to our family garage, We started to attend car shows, and I fell in love with the car and motorcycle culture. I saw the correlation between the human bodies I had been drawing in school with the vehicle body lines. I loved how the world around was distorted in the chrome and carbon fiber bodies. During one car show, my husband challenged me to paint a vehicle I liked. Even though I thought it was an impossible dare, I chose an orange GMC truck. Once I finished that small painting, I was hooked. From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to focus my art on paintings of vehicles.

My style is 10% abstract with 90% realism. This balance allows me to paint with my fingers, palms, and brushes.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think any career is a smooth road. If it were, we would never appreciate our successes. The twists and bumps that we endure shape us into who we are. They make us better people.

When I came back to art, I felt that I needed a degree to gain recognition and respect in my industry. As time went on, I realized that an education can come from many places. That so many of us have what I call “Life Education”.

I do not have a degree in my field, but I have experience in other areas that strengthen my business and career goals. Coming from the corporate world, I worked with supportive and difficult clients, met deadlines, problem solved, put in long hours, worked with a team and independently, had been a student and then a teacher, celebrated success, and picked myself up after rejection. I had also learned to seek out answers to things I didn’t know. Finding a mentor, taking classes, watching instructional videos, reading, and a lot of practice gave me a push in the right direction. All of these have helped me with my art career.

I often wonder what my life would be like if I had pursued my art career early in life. Would I have given up because of frustrating obstacles? Perhaps. I do believe that working in the corporate world, owning a business, being a wife/mother/teacher, and starting a new career in my mid 40’s was what I needed. Those moments taught me to be thankful for what I have today. I appreciate every triumph and have learned (sometimes grudgingly) from every setback. I don’t know if my younger self would have been so wise or appreciative.

Please tell us about Art by Shan Fannin.
I am a realist vehicle painter that works in acrylics. I prefer working on larger canvases as I paint with my fingers, palms, and brushes. I combine abstract backgrounds/reflections with realist depictions of cars, motorcycles, airplanes, and other forms of transportation. I work in vibrant colors that encourage my viewer’s eyes to roam throughout my paintings.

My favorite part of what I do is the feedback I hear from my viewers and collectors. When one of my vehicle paintings connects on a personal level, I feel I’ve truly done my job right. I love hearing the stories about how that was the first car or how someone rebuilt that engine with a loved one. I hear about treasured vacations, or dreams of one day owning that special ride. My works encourage folks to talk about their memories or goals. I am so thankful that my art brings joy and shared experiences to others.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would stop doubting my direction. I would realize that what one artist does, might not work for myself. To stop comparing myself to others, and know that there is no wrong path. Trust the process.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shanfannin.com
• Phone: 512-917-4660
• Email: shan@shanfannin.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/shanfannin
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/artbyshanfannin
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/shanfannin

Image Credit:
Shan Fannin

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