About

Shannon Dempsey is inspired by the intersection where opposites meet and overlap. Her own experiences growing up in a bicultural household have informed her belief of balance as a phenomenon of two opposites not only existing in harmony, but also as a part of one another.  

Her work stems from a foundational practice of drawing and painting from observation, but she also explores other materials, including but not limited to leather, wood, deconstructed canvas, and plaster.

Shannon was born and raised in Rochester, NY; where she received her BA in Studio arts at the University of Rochester. She is currently based in Houston, TX; where she works as a user experience designer during the day, and creates art at night. Thanks to her experiences as a UX designer, she is always creating with the viewer in mind and encourages patrons to express their own interpretation of her work. She believes that the power of art lies in the viewer’s visceral response.  

“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”
― Cesar A. Cruz

image of artist
Black Lives Matter. I am including a link in my bio to a resource list for allies that I have personally found helpful. It’s created by the @dismantlewsc which is an all POC-led group whose goal is to name, disrupt, and dismantle white supremac
Thank you to everyone who helped me donate by purchasing art! We ended up donating a total of $365, which I am psyched about. I am ending my campaign for COVID donations, but you can always find my art at dempspresents.com
I’m placing a link in my profile to a resource I’ve found helpful in trying to be a better ally. The link includes an explanation of allyship and a list of educational resources including articles, books, films, and videos. The list is pu
Something a little different today 🌿
There’s nothing quite like drawing figures from life. I miss it, but for now I’ll stick to socially distanced outdoor portraiture. Swipe to see process pics ➡️
Finally painted a decent portrait of Katie (@deprestybestie Why are you so hard to paint??) A n y w a y s Thanks for sitting still for me🧡
Another glitchy hand for your eyeballs to enjoy 👋🏼💚
This is how many of my paintings start out, but I like this one as is with all the little brushstrokes showing 🖌🌤
Just updated my shop with these bad bois!! Reminder: all proceeds will go back into the Houston community. Link in bio👩🏻‍🎨🌎
Swipe to see saucy art 👉🏼🌶
Whose shoes?
Before making this, I promised myself that i was going to make terrible art, and it actually helped me move past some creative constipation. Hurrah for terrible art!! 👹

Commissions

If you’re interested in a commission, please fill out the form.

Please let me know:

  1. Your size and/or pricing range.

  2. Whether you would like an acrylic painting or charcoal drawing (see gallery for references.)

  3. Due date, if applicable.

Thank you for your patronage!