I am a full-time Burlington artist and art instructor. My watercolour painting style has evolved into a highly realistic style covering a variety of subjects which may include birds & wildlife, nature, portraits, floral, still life & landscape. Subjects with reflective qualities like glass and metal are especially intriguing to me. I’m a very active instructor teaching regular classes and teaching throughout North America, which I’ve done for about 30 years. I have many online lessons as well, including a weekly live demonstration Wednesday mornings. Although I paint in acrylic and oil as well, my main medium is watercolour.

www.shelleyprior.com

Every subject presents new challenges and pushes me to try new techniques and different methods. Many years of experimentation (and yes, lots of failures) have taught me to use quality materials and plan ahead in my painting, as watercolours are less forgiving than other mediums. 

Light is a crucial element in almost everything I paint. For me, it’s the life of the painting. I always strive to have interesting lighting in my work and try to create it though the application of subtle glazes and deep rich shadows.