Eileen
Shibley
” My art is my escape into the world of the possible. I see life in bright, bold colors and my art reflects that vision and perspective. I still view myself as a beginner and I’m still searching and evolving my style. I’m happiest when I’m painting and my hope is that my paintings will tell a story. Life is all about the journey and my art strives to tell that story. My greatest hope is that people will enjoy looking at what I paint and will feel part of the story.” – Eileen Parlet Shibley
My Story
From the most wonderful, albeit humble beginnings in a little farming community in South Dakota, I moved to the big city of Ridgecrest, CA at age 18. I waited tables at my brother’s pizza parlor (John’s Pizza) during the day and I set type at the Daily Independent at night. Knowing that I didn’t want to wait tables forever, I took the Clerk Typist test on the base at China Lake and was hired as a GS-3 . I spent the next 35 years supporting the Navy base at China Lake, earning a B.S. degree along the way and finding myself in positions of ever greater responsibility. China Lake was good to me and I had many opportunities to support.
When I retired, I took my first art class from Nancy Crawford and my life began to change. The three hours in class seemed to last 20 minutes and there was never enough time. I started painting at home and went through tons of watercolor paper. I’ve taken several classes since then but have no formal classroom experience. I’m still frustrated that I can’t draw well and my perspective is often short of my expectations but, mostly, I love the watercolor medium and I still get excited about watching the colors flow across the page. I’m always ready to start the next project!
Eileen Shibley