Shelley Rugg
Born in Oakland, CA
Raised in Long Beach, CA
Lives & works in West Marin, CA
Shelley received her MFA in drawing and painting from CSULB, with a specialty in portrait work. She has exhibited her work throughout Southern California, and is still getting into the swing of being a West Marin-based artist.
Reconnecting humanity with nature is the core motivation in her current work. With the devastating impact of climate change looming, she feels we must awaken to the emergency and prepare to take extreme measures in order to have any hope of saving the future for those who will carry on long after we are gone.
She has loved to draw and paint people ever since she was a little girl, because of a portrait by artist Richard Highland that hung over the couch in her living room. The painting had an elegance and simplicity that was striking, and the eyes that gazed straight ahead would follow you around the room. It was because of that painting that she wanted to explore drawing and painting portraits.