Meet Shannon Fody

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

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up in a suburb of Detroit called Bloomfield Hills. Throughout grade school and up until High School, I had always considered drawing and painting a hobby. Towards the end of my junior year, as other students were preparing to apply to colleges, I had reached a crossroad. I had to decide whether or not art would remain just a hobby for me.

I ended up enrolling in a Portfolio Prep course at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center (BBAC). The course was facilitated by an artist named Vianna Szabo. Vianna would become the catalyst in my decision to pursue art professionally. It was through her that I was introduced to great artists like Henry Yan, Sherrie McGraw, and countless other artists that I still look up to today (not to mention Vianna herself!).

I continued to study privately under Vianna after the course had ended. Under her direction, I was able to really develop and hone my own aesthetic, and approach to art. She later introduced me to the Laguna College of Art & Design (LCAD) in Laguna Beach, California, where I would later attend.

At LCAD, I received an intense classical training that I had never experienced before. Although I really benefited from the structure and rigor of LCAD, I still felt that something was missing. In the summer between my Junior and Senior year, I got the opportunity to study with one of my favorite artists, Vadim Zanginian.

After taking a 10-week Intensive with Vadim at his studio, everything really started to click for me. The lessons I learned through working with Vadim allowed me to finally achieve the aesthetic I had always envisioned for my art. It was then that I really started to enjoy the work that I was making.

I graduated from the Laguna College of Art & Design in May of 2017, with a BFA in Drawing & Painting. I decided to stay in California after graduating, and currently work out of Oceanside.

Please tell us about your art.
I create drawings and paintings of people. For my drawings, I use charcoal, and for my paintings, I use oil. I have always been drawn to portraiture, more than any other subject. I think it’s the challenge of portrait that not only compels me but keeps my interest. Turning something blank and two-dimensional into something that is three-dimensional and recognizable, is amazing and extremely gratifying. I really just push dirt around until I get to that point.

My work has always been less about what it is, but how it’s done. For me, the process of making something come to life is what drives me to make art. It’s not necessarily about telling a story; it’s about the creative process being a story in and of itself.

In the work that I admire most of other people, it is not what they are saying with their art but how they are saying it. Their visual language is what I find beautiful, more so than the actual image. It is not the decision to make the woman smiling, but of how the artist has used a single brushstroke to represent a row of teeth. It is this visual language that I think sets us apart from one another and makes us unique.

In my own work, I approach the subject with the idea that less is more. I believe it is what you do not say that makes the greatest impact. I like my work to be expressive, and a little ambiguous. Although I want my work to represent the subject I am painting. I do not want it to be a complete illusion.

I want the viewer to have an insight into how the piece was created. Whether that is through leaving parts of the drawing unresolved, or in the context of which a figure is placed. Ultimately, it is the creative process that I want the viewer to take away. I want them to know I had fun.

We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
Being an artist CAN be extremely lonely. Often times to better your craft, it’s at the expense of something else. Whether that’s going out with your friends, taking a much-needed break, or what have you, being an artist can sometimes mean having to make sacrifices.

I think that if people are looking to connect with other artists, they can definitely do so through social media. Coming from a relatively small town in the Midwest, finding other artists to relate with was a little difficult. Now with social media, you don’t have to live in an art hub to find other artists, they’re all in the palm of your hand. I’ve connected with artists that I may never have had to chance to, if not for social media.

That being said, in terms of loneliness, sometimes I think what an artist really needs is to not be with other artists at all. At least for me, when I feel lonely, although another artist will definitely sympathize with what I’m feeling, what I really need is to be away from art altogether. I need to take a break from being an artist and spend more time being a person, and being with friends, and family. When I do that, I feel refreshed, and I am able to be a better artist.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can best view my work on my Instagram page @shannonfody, or on my website: www.shannonfody.com. In terms of support, dollar bills always help… just kidding… kind of. But in all reality, anything helps- whether it’s sharing my Instagram page with your friends, or giving me alike, or following, it all helps.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shannonfody.com
• Email: shannonfody@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonfody/

Image Credit:
Iris Johnson, 2019

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