Shan Fannin

Name:

Shan Fannin

Country where you live:

United States

City where you live:

Austin

Website:

http://www.shanfannin.com/

Instagram:

http://www.instagram.com/shanfannin

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/artbyshanfannin

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/shanfannin

Statement :

Vehicles are more than appliances to get us from Point A to B - they are mobile sculptures that reflect our personality. My paintings capture some of that personality with the vehicles from our past, or those we dream of one day driving. The greatest compliment I receive is when my viewer not only appreciates the subject depicted, but happily shares memories/dreams of why the painting speaks personally with them.

WAMX 3535

I’ve had folks ask me in the past about painting other vehicles. One that I’ve wanted to paint for a long time is a train. So many of us have fond memories of these powerful machines crossing over our roads or alongside the highway. My own son adored trains as a small boy. So much so that we made a day of booking a steam train ride, making him a cardboard train costume for Halloween, and filling his toy box with Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. Trains are a part of whom we are. They bring joy whenever we hear the whistle. This fabulous yellow lady was parked in a train yard in Austin. She was a challenge to paint as there were no reflective surfaces, but rust and worn metal. I enjoyed bringing her to life and plan on painting more trains in the near future. I especially want to create a steam train.

Work Credit:

Shan Fannin

1971 Mercedes AMG 300 aka Red Pig

This Mercedes AMG 300 is a very famous race car as it finished 2nd place in the 24 Hours of Spa in 1971 (something that no one thought it could do). It is really a story of not listening to the doubters, and just going with your gut. I love those underdog stories, don’t you? Many racing enthusiasts love this car and what she represents. She was a challenge to paint, but I’m really happy with how she turned out.

Work Credit:

Shan Fannin

1956 Flamin' Chevrolet Bel Air

I usually don’t create a painting specifically for a exhibition, but this piece is different. I saw that a museum exhibition was having a 2nd annual show. The juror is a highly respected NYC gallery owner that I greatly admire. I wanted to submit to the show for a chance to get my work seen by a new audience. What to paint? I wanted my piece to really jump off the canvas. I remembered that my husband and I had seen this Chevrolet Bel Air the year before at a local car show. I thought the green bodywork complimented the vibrant flames beautifully. It was the perfect subject for my museum submission. There are lots of abstracted figures in this piece. I must admit that it is the most color intensive work I’ve done to date. There were so many colors used. A rainbow and more. I’m really happy with how this turned out. It is a cheerful work and one that reflects how I try to be in live. Colorful, happy, and bright.

Work Credit:

Shan Fannin

Pack of Schwinns

And now for something really different :) On an antiquing trip to Round Top, Texas with my husband, I walked by a line of vintage Schwinn bikes. I thought: “Wouldn’t that make an interesting painting? I should probably take a picture of this for later.” Several months later, I ran across my Schwinn reference photo. I needed a large painting for an upcoming exhibition, and had just over 1.5 weeks to complete it. Could I pull this one off in that short amount of time? Sure! Well, I did finish the painting in time, but it was TOUGH. I felt like my eyes were crossed the entire time I painted this piece. I firmly believe that we should challenge ourselves in Life. Learn something new, travel, learn an instrument, and occasionally get out of your comfort zone. When we do, we learn so much about ourselves. We discover that we are made of stronger stuff. This painting really challenged me. It is my first bicycle painting, and I know I’ll create others in the future. I will need to rest my eyes a bit first.

Work Credit:

Shan Fannin

1959 Cadillac El Dorado

Oh, how I LOVE painting chrome. This lovely lady was photographed along with my 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air at the Mechum Auction in Austin. Photographing vehicles under bright lights in a well lit building is a real challenge. However, this does pose a chance to push myself in different areas creatively. Growing up, my father always drove a Cadillac. Many Cadillac Seville and Sevan de Ville were part of our family during the 1970s-1980s. Even to this day, my father owns a utilitarian truck as his daily driver, but has a Cadillac Seville for his luxury weekend drives. When it comes to Cadillac, I’m a fan of the 1940s-1950s models. So much chrome to take in. I’m drawn into their radiated reflections and could get completely lost in them. This 1959 beauty grabbed me with her light blue/blueberry body, tail lights that go forever, and the mesmerizing chrome. I knew she would make a great painting one day. I’m very happy with how she turned out.

Work Credit:

Shan Fannin

Bio:

Shan Fannin is a realist vehicle painter living in Austin, Texas. Born in California, she received a scholarship to become a special needs art teacher, but joined her family business and pursued a marketing career. Stepping away from the corporate world to raise a family, Fannin returned to art after a 25yr. hiatus. In 2012 she took community college art classes, and turned her attention to painting vehicles when a 1961 Ford Thunderbird was added to their family garage. She became a professional realist vehicle artist in February, 2015.

Fannin creates her large, vibrant acrylic paintings with a combination of painting with her palms, fingers, and brushes. Although her work is categorized as realism, she incorporates approximately 10% abstraction into each painting.

Fannin’s work has been shown in national galleries including: Salmagundi Club, Walter Greer, Tucson Desert Art Museum, Richland Fine Art, Castle Gallery, and Sirona. She has had two solo exhibitions including showing her work during Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance 2016. Her paintings have been published in American, Greek, and British publications including: American Art Collector, Soferina, Pinstriping & Kustom Graphics, Where Women Create Business, North Light Books, and Creative Quarterly. She was on the international shortlist of 13 artists/writers for the 2017 Artslant Georgia Fee Paris Residency.

Fannin also enjoys writing about marketing for artists. She has been a guest writer for: Artists on Art, Create!, Where Women Create Business, Manhattan Arts International, and Fine Art Today. Currently, she is represented by L’Atelier Berkshires, Rene Soto Gallery, The Good Art Company, and Zhou B Art Center Gallery.