Shannon Christensen has experienced her share of these words while raising 8 children, being married 27 years, and returning to college at the age of 38 to receive a bachelor's degree in fine art. She also knows, whether in California, Utah, or Missouri, that she is not alone in this knowledge. Those nouns and verbs are universally felt.
Adversity. How is it explained? How is it understood? How is it seen? Christensen is drawn to that mental challenge of conceptually connecting those intangible ideas with observable objects. She conceals meaning while maintaining adept artistry. Using stories, symbols, and secrets Christensen has had success in sharing her visual voice with public and private collectors and commissioned pieces as well as award winning artwork.
Christensen feels "there is a misconception about attributing meaning to artistic content. In my experience with collectors, defining my artwork doesn't constrict the viewer any more than a composer marking fortissimo or pianissimo on her music hinders a conductor." Quite the contrary, unveiling Christensen's descriptions is a threshold to discovery. The collaborative dialog further expands the meaning for audience and artist alike.
Creating portraits and still-lifes is an isolating activity. But Christensen seeks Interaction with others. Whether speaking about her artwork to a roomful of international delegates at a banquet, teaching aspiring artists or executives in corporate retreats at Sundance Resort, interacting with editors about a feature article on her work in Western Art Collector, or even being filmed in her studio for the Rate My Space television show she finds these outstanding opportunities vital to connecting with individuals. Following her personal mantra, "Observe Broadly, Think Deeply, Express Convincingly," Christensen sees these as occasions to influence, inform and increase her perspective and lend authority to future work.
In viewing Christensen's work the beauty is striking on its surface but it's knowing that there's something more and sharing in the secret. It's seeing with clarity that symbolic significance has the power to expose adversity, insight, hope, and healing transparently, making the invisible, visible.