Shawna Marie Franklin

Shawna Marie Franklin was born in 1965 in Utah and raised in Minnesota. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Apparel Design, and working in London furthered her understanding of creativity and commerce.   Five additional university years studying biology led to work as a field biologist which honed her observational skills and cemented her connection to nature.  A love of the ocean and her kayaking skill led her to the Pacific Northwest where she become a professional kayaker and co-owner of an award winning paddlesports school. Shawna became the first woman to circumnavigate Iceland by sea kayak.   Shawna has attended Gage Academy in Seattle, and mentorships include work under artists Professor Terry L. Johnson and Seattle based artist Klara Glosova. Shawna earned a Diploma with credit from the London based Society of Botanical Art Society. Shawna has had solo shows in Port Townsend, WA and Orcas Island, and has participated in group shows in California, Oregon, and in Colorado. Shawna is a member of The Artworks Gallery on Orcas Island, WA where she currently resides.

Artist Statement:
I am a painter and a printmaker, and I am trained in design.   Working somewhere between abstraction and realism,  I am seeking to embody the vantage point of a non-human ‘other’.  I tend to work in a series format,  which allows me to settle in and explore the concept at hand taking the time to fully develop an idea that submerges the viewer into a narrative.  I  choose a non-human subject that is ubiquitous but often overlooked or misunderstood.   I want to give the viewer a sense of place. I want to convey a reality of interconnectedness utilizing a visual language of namely line, color, shape, and space.  Convolutions of line and shape, intersect with planes of color to define space, and to represent the complexity of living organisms.   Experiences, memories, photos, and imagination are all starting places for my work.  My painting practice is informed by my printmaking practice.  I strive for each piece to be part of a larger body of cohesive work, yet I also want each piece to be able to stand on its own formally.

My project ‘Being with Kelp’ began when my life as a professional kayaker ended in 2019. It is inspired by the void left after a long worthwhile career of daily work on the ocean.  Kelp, like the ocean water surrounding me, was a daily companion in my life. From my unique vantage point of paddling a kayak and being a swimmer I was able to be submerged in kelp, observe it, taste it, and feel it on a daily basis.   

‘Being with Kelp’ represents a personal pursuit of bearing witness and practicing empathy towards the non-human world, as well as a re-imagination of our relationship with life on this planet.  The project culminated with a successful 2025 solo show at the Jeanette Best Gallery at Northwind Art in Port Townsend, WA.

“The Vespidae Project - I am a Wasp”, is born out of a love of wasps and a reverence and fascination of their natural history. I am exploring the nest, the animal, and their natural history.  Starting with a subjects deemed a “pest”, or a “service” to society,  I offer an alternative abstracting viewpoint which explores both the intricacy of the ecosystem and the intrinsic beauty of these under-represented subjects. This project will include a series of large format abstracted prints using monotype, collagraphy, and intaglio processes, and large format oil paintings.    

The Simple Life Series began in 2002 and is still emerging. Each linoleum block image tells a story of discovery about the uniquely beautiful flora and fauna and of living a simple life on a small island of the Salish Sea. In the years: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007 & 2008 I published a year calendar titled - A Simple Life. Most of my Simple Life Series are available as hand pulled limited edition signed prints framed or unframed. I also offer most images reproduced as greeting cards.

http://shawnamariefranklinart.com

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