Biography
Shannon Lively is an emerging artist of realist portraiture and figurative drawings and paintings. She grew up in Northern Alberta, born into a family of enthusiastic campers. A city girl at heart, Shannon made the most of her plight by bringing along her trusty table top easel during their many camping trips and would draw pictures in fashion magazines that caught her eye. By the age of 17, she completed her first commissioned oil painting for a client in New York.
Shannon subsequently studied political science and law at the University of Alberta. After practicing law full-time for several years, she realized that she longed to pursue a career as an artist. To obtain formal training, Shannon packed her bags and moved to Toronto, Ontario in spring 2014 to study at the Academy of Realist Art. In 2015, Shannon won one of four scholarships awarded to students at the ARA.
After reaching level III of the program at the ARA, Shannon began developing her own body of work in a studio located in the school. She moved to her current studio - Studio 330 at 1655 Dupont Street - in summer 2019.
Shannon's work has been featured in a number of exhibitions in Toronto and several arts publications.