We create to share: A story about Artist Shannyn Warren
September 2020
Reading Length: 5 - 8 minutes
The darkness of my laptop switches to light as Shannyn comes on screen. Even against the lousy bandwidth, her smile is warm against the late winter evening. She sweeps her fiery red hair to one side and greets me a cheery hello.
Having never have done a story via a video call, there’s a moment of unsettlement for me. All the usual social cues that was once easily read are now more difficult to distinguish. 2020 has seen a shift to this form of communication accelerate to a point of necessity.
The small window that I see Shannyn in gives me a glimpse of her world. She is currently restricted to her home, under a lockdown in Melbourne, Victoria. Amidst that, there is no hint of worry in her face, and her soft-spoken replies and questions as we briefly catch up has a sense of ease to it. Composure at adverse moments is an accumulated skill.
Shannyn redirects the focus back to me. “I saw you advertise a live stream on your socials. I haven’t seen it, but I promise I’ll watch it,” She says as she carries her laptop across the room. “It’s not like I have much to do.” She rolls her eyes and gives a chuckle.
I check my watch. 7 PM.
“I’m guessing curfews won’t apply to this video calls?”
“We have forever.”
She sits on the floor, leans against the foot of her bed and presses the both earphones into her ears.
“Doing so many different styles of art, how do you present yourself and your work?” I begin.
“I usually just say I’m a creative,” she replies simply. “It always felt odd calling myself an artist because I wasn’t making money out of it full time. Then I spoke to a few people, and they mentioned that I was an artist and that making money doesn’t define my identity as an artist. Now, I believe that you can be called an artist even though it’s not your full-time job.”
“Of all the styles of art that you do, what was the earliest creative styles you were exposed to and where did it stem from?”
Shannyn takes a moment to think. “Around high school was when I really started to get into both drawing and writing. I was going through a hard time mentally and personally at that time, and those two things really helped me get into a better place.” She adjusts her earphone cords as she slouches slightly. “It initially began as a coping mechanism, but I kept doing it continuously, trying new things. I eventually figured out that I was good at it, and it evolved to where I am now.”
“Did the figuring out part come from self-realisation, or did it come from feedback?”
“It was a combination of both.” She tries to fight off a laugh. “Now this may sound cheesy, but a particular moment on my self-realisation was when I was watching the movie Titanic and saw Leonardo DiCaprio’s character drawing Kate Winslett’s character. I was impressed of how the mechanics of drawing can be used to express yourself, but I also thought that my level of drawing was on par with what I saw on the screen,” she says. “Also, being encouraged greatly by people around me helped me realise that I was good enough. I think I still have that piece somewhere.” Shannyn looks somewhere behind her laptop’s camera. “It’s lying around somewhere.”
“Do you have a few other pieces you can show?” I ask.
“Of course. Here let me give you a tour.”
Shannyn manoeuvres her laptop to one of the corners of her room. The process was a little unorthodox, but we make do.
“I’ve been painting a lot lately. This is a painting of two women’s faces. One with the sun, and the other with the moon,” she says as she points to two A3 canvases sitting on an easel. The one on the left is a profile of a woman against a bronze backdrop, the sun at her eye level, while on the right is a profile of a woman against a shadowy background, a crescent moon at her eye level. She holds the camera in front of the piece just long enough for me to take it all in. The two women don’t have any particular features, and can be reflected as every woman perhaps looking at herself at a different light.
“That’s what I’m doing in that corner. I got some portraits over here.” Shannyn carries her laptop, along with me to another side of her room. “For the people who know me, and from what you see on my Instagram is that I love portraits.”
“You said you tried different styles, what made you gravitate towards portraits?” I interrupt.
“I’ve always had a fascination about faces, and facial expressions, and I’ve always wanted to capture that. Here’s a portrait of a guy I met at a festival.”
Shannyn holds up a portrait of a face. Hair shaded to one side, Dark shadows of what I assumed was facial paint from his left temple to his right cheek, and a scruffy beard against a defined jaw. Even against the flat medium of paper, the portrait has a feeling of agency, just from the slight smirk you can notice.
“I tend to draw people I meet.” Shannyn puts the drawing away. “There’s this thing that I also do where I’ll usually just draw absentmindedly and by the time I finish, it will be the face of someone I know. Most people I meet end up in my subconscious.”
Shannyn looks through more of her drawings. “What else do I have.” She asks herself. “Everyone loves this one.” She holds up an A4 sized piece of paper with a woman. Angst is evident on her face, from the deep shadows from the furrow between her eyebrows. The shading is so deep that even through the 480p quality, it looks defined.
“The paper I used for this is so thick, it’s almost cardboard. I think the material you use always make a difference.”
“Other than the painting of the two women, what else have you been working on?”
“I’ve been getting a lot of commissioned work which has been surprising actually. So that’s keeping me busy, but I’m also working on a children’s colouring book. It’s a bit different, but a good chance to do something I haven’t done before. So it’s ten different cartoon pictures of endangered monkeys around the world.”
“After High School how did you maintain your creativity?” I continue.
“I actually thought if I was going to have a career, I need to do something that will bring me a consistent amount of money. Film production was the easiest choice as I was really into drama and theatre. I went to University of Technology in Sydney to finish a Bachelors in Film Production.” Shannyn runs her fingers through her hair. “I made some short films, but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. It was too technical, and too reliant on others. It wasn’t what I was expecting; I felt my creativity feeling squashed.”
“So I decided to travel for a while, and through that time I just kept drawing. I’d be in a tent in Nicaragua, sketching.”
For many, avoiding a detour is a clear choice. To focus their eyes on a clear goal and be undeterred is what drives them. While for some, a detour whether out of choice or circumstance is embraced. Maybe it’s the thrill of experiencing something new, or maybe it’s the acceptance of the cyclical nature of life, but the pivot from the norm has always brought growth that is irreplaceable.
“When you returned to Sydney, did you get any clarity?”
Shannyn shakes her head. “I was soul searching through that time of travel, and when I came back I felt I was still soul searching. We go through different times in life soul searching anyway. But when I got back I thought I should study writing since I’m interested in that too. And that’s where I met you guys (our old university writing group).”
“Those were great times. I remember between classes once when you told me you sold first painting. You looked so happy.”
She can’t hide a smile. “Yes! That felt so long ago…”
“Who bought the piece?”
“It was at a vegan art festival. A Psychologist and Author that I admired bought it. I was so over the moon. It wasn’t even anything grand, it was just a cow. But it felt so validating. I sold a piece of my art!”
“As someone who is a big advocate of sustainability, do you find any overlap of it into your art?”
“I’ve done some portraits of indigenous people I’ve met. I think doing that puts a light on what they’ve been doing sustainably for our environment for such a long time. There’s so much to learn, and we’re only scratching the surface.”
“Since art is so subjective, how do you think it transfers in creating purpose for yourself, and to those who view your art?”
Shannyn begins to answers, but stops. A moment of hesitation lingers between us.
I let the silence simmer.
“I like sharing my art with others because I want people to see my work and be moved by it. In this game of life that we are all playing, I really believe that we do things to make other people feel something. If my paintings can bring some sort of joy to someone, then that’s what it’s all about.”
“I read one of your blog posts on your website about using digital tools for drawing. How have you been adjusting to this as someone who is a traditionalist when it comes to your art?”
“Initially, there was a sense of apprehensiveness from me to use digital tools. It felt like I was cheating or watering down my art, but I eventually saw that so many people I knew used it, and if it was going to enhance my work, then why not,” she replies. “I do a hybrid style though where I’ll upload something I’ve already drew by hand, and then clean it up with digital tools.”
Shannyn tightens her blue sweater around her shoulders. The winter months in Melbourne are fierce and unpredictable, and it wouldn’t be any different this year, but apart from the weather, it is a city filled with diverse flavours in every facet.
“What made you want to move to Melbourne?”
“I’ve visited Melbourne a few times and have always felt at home with the culture and vibe there. Last year, it just felt right, so I did it.”
“Looking back now though, under the current restrictions, do you feel it was the right decision?”
“Definitely. Of course, the current situation is frustrating, but when I take my daily walk, I still get awed by this city. I regret nothing.
“What’s been the most important thing you’ve learnt through this time, and I guess still learning?”
There’s a fine tension in her voice as she answers. “It’s been such a trip. There’s been good days and bad days, but it has been a great time for introspection. I haven’t had much interaction with other people so I’ve only been really able to do self-portraits, but it’s been a good chance to dive deep within myself and understand more of who I am.” A smile shifts on her face. “I’ve always thought that it’s an artists dream to be locked in a room with all your tools, and just let your creativity unleash, but it doesn’t happen like that. At least for me it doesn’t. The interaction with other people is really quite important.”
Most times, the long narrow road of pursuing a passion or dream cannot be done on our own. Others we meet along the way offer wisdom that is invaluable, and in turn we may inspire someone along the way through our perseverance. Simply, we create to share. Art may be done in insolation, but it receives life when it enters a community.
“What’s your next focus as an artist?”
“The problem with me is that I want to do so much. Other than the colouring book and the commissioned work, I’ve been wanting to do portraits of people with masks, that seems to be the hot topic through this pandemic. But what I really want to focus on is doing something to do with people and plants. Blending the two together somehow.” Shannyn looks past the camera and takes a moment to reflect.
To find more of Shannyn’s work or get in touch with her, visit her website at SMWCreative Studios or Instagram @shashades
Written by: S.I. Finlayson
Photographs provided by Shannyn Warren