In 1986, Shelley graduated from Hendrix College with a B. A. Degree in Humanities with an emphasis in Art and went on to pursue an Associate Degree in Interior Design from the Harrington Institute of Design in Chicago.  During her six years in Chicago, she combined her fine arts background with her education in architectural interiors and worked as a designer at the architectural firm, Perkins + Will.  Creating architectural renderings for the interiors department was her specialty.  In recent years, she has established herself as an Arkansas artist, working in various mediums, including acrylics, pastels, watercolors, and mixed media.  

Since returning to Arkansas, she has continued to enrich her art background through numerous classes and workshops in watercolor, pastel, collage, mixed media, oil, and encaustic. Shelley has also studied with nationally acclaimed artists, including Richard McKinley, Stan Sperlak, John Lasater, Jason Sacran, and Qiang Huang.   

Shelley's paintings have been juried into the 2015, 2017, and 2019  Reflections in Pastel national exhibitions sponsored by Arkansas Pastel Society, as well as the APS Members Only Juried Shows in recent years, In 2018, she received a first place award in the APS Members Juried Exhibit. Her painting, Windows to the Soul - Chimpanzee, was selected for inclusion in the book, AcrylicWorks 5, The Best of Acrylic Painting, which was published by North Light Books in 2018.

Shelley's art is currently available for purchase through the Art Group Gallery ( www.artgrouparkansas.com ) in Little Rock, as well as through her personal studio.  

Art has enriched my life, all my life, and I am grateful for the experience of creating and sharing it with others.  -Shelley Gentry