Shel explores the vast, mysterious, and beautiful landscapes of New Mexico translated into abstraction through gesture and rhythm. She uses a natural palette on cold press paper that invites viewers into a space where rich tones and organic forms evoke space and humanity. These paintings are whimsical and free, allowing viewers to discover their own place and relationship with nature and their connection to humanity.
Each piece is a meditation on movement, cycles, and balance, capturing the essence of the desert’s openness, the horizon’s pull, and the quiet intense energy of the land. Rather than replicating a view, she aims to capture its spirit, its sense of wonder, stillness, and possibility, leaving room for the viewer’s imagination to wander.
Desert Current — evoking the movement of life and time flowing through the vast desert expanse.
20 x 30 acrylic and ink on paper
Sunspill - channeling luminous energy of the high desert inviting the viewer to feel the expanse and vibrancy of the landscape.
18 x 24 acrylic on cold press paper
Sandstorm Rising, sweeping arcs of ochre and crimson collide in a dynamic burst of energy, capturing the fierce beauty of a high desert storm. The composition evokes the swirling grit and unrelenting wind-driven sand, immersing the viewer in both the power and the transience of the moment.
18 x 24 acrylic and ink on paper
Desert Uplift — Symbolizes the wind, sun, and spirit rising from the desert toward the boundless sky.
18 x 24 acrylic and ink on paper
Mesa del Sol pays homage to the iconic landscapes of the Southwest’s parks and trails. Warm, sweeping strokes echo the curves of volcanic tuff and sandstone formations, while the golden orb above recalls the sun’s unyielding presence. Earthy textures at the base suggest layered canyon walls and ancient trails, honoring both the land’s natural beauty and its deep cultural heritage.
18 x 24 acrylic on paper.
Monsoon Dawn captures the delicate balance between serenity and power in the high desert. Sweeping strokes of soft color rise like morning light over the horizon, while bursts of gold, turquoise, and deep indigo hint at distant rains. The composition evokes the quiet anticipation of sunrise before the sky opens, celebrating the renewal and vitality brought by the desert’s summer storms.
Special composition created for a couple in New Mexico. The painting represents how they show up everyday for each other and for our community no matter what the storm brings or for what the new day shines a light upon.
18 x 24 acrylic on paper
Awakening celebrates the vibrant life that thrives in the high desert. Bursts of red, gold, and earth tones rise like morning heat, while fluid arcs suggest the motion of birds, insects, and creatures emerging with the day. The artist honors the delicate balance of survival and beauty in this rugged, sunlit ecosystem.
18 x 24 acrylic and ink on paper
Constellation maps the quiet poetry of the high desert sky. Arcs and dotted patterns evokes paths of stars and migrating birds, while warm earth tones anchor to sunlit mesas and sandstone valleys.
The artist invites us to an awareness between land and sky, sand and air, and the timeless rhythms that shape the desert’s story.
18 x 24 acrylic on paper