Gallery 25 and Creative Arts Studio

Shannon Marzella-Kearns

Artist Statement

My abstract paintings reflect my emotional, intuitive inner landscape. Through dreamwork and meditative time in nature, whether in my own garden or in my travels, my paintings call forth inner realms accessed through the portal of the subconscious. It can be hard to carve out time and space to reach stillness. I intend my work to be an invitation, both for myself and for others, to step out of linear time and form.

My materials are simple—acrylic paint, paper, a handful of tools and brushes. I prefer working on paper because of the way the paint absorbs into its texture. As a writer, I use these tools to tell a story, one that I don’t know the ending of until the painting is complete. And even then, the story continues.

Artist Bio

Shannon Marzella-Kearns is a writer and abstract painter. After dabbling in art for two decades, she devoted herself to abstract painting while exploring it as an enrichment project during her MFA in Creative Writing program at Western Connecticut State University in 2023. After falling in love with painting abstractly, Shannon studied both privately and in workshops at Washington Arts Association with Heather Neilson, an acclaimed Connecticut artist. She continues to work with Heather as a mentor to hone her skills.

Shannon has participated in the 2025 Member Show at the Washington Arts Association in Washington, CT. She is also a member of the Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN). Shannon is currently working on a collaboration with Dr. Lisa Barker, a Connecticut sculptor. She also painted the cover for her most recent published work, a collection of poetry entitled The Uterus is an Impossible Forest (Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2025). Connect with Shannon at www.shannonmkearns.com.