About Me

Arena Shawn was a science major and obtained a Ph.D. in Physics in 2008 from Purdue University. However, alongside science she has always had a passion for art. After coming to United States for graduate school, Arena took the opportunity to attend many art classes provided by the university, and attended painting workshops around the country with nationally-renowned instructors. Eventually, her calling to art has led her to leave her technical job as an Application Scientist in a scientific instrument company in Silicon Valley. She is currently studying classical drawing and painting methods following the 19th-century French academic lineage in the Golden Gate Atelier in San Francisco.

In her pursuit of art, Arena tries to use brush and paints to reflect the quiet lights, subtle colors and playful shapes exhibited by seemingly mundane, everyday objects. Striving for the emotional quality of every piece she has created, Arena hopes that her work would be able to reach out and connect with their viewers, evoking the sense of wonder and awe of our everyday life that are so often taken as granted. Her primary working methods involves direct application of wet watercolor to saturated paper surface to create the fluidic appearance and organic patterns that borderlines representational and abstract nature, with special attentions paid to create strong value patterns and varied edge quality.

Arena is a member of the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society (SCVWS) and the California Watercolor Association (CWA). More of her work can be viewed and purchased at her online gallery, http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/arena-shawn-2464. She also discusses her new works and painting process in her blog, http://arenashawn.blogspot.com.

Juried Exhibitions and Awards

2012 - North Valley Art League National Juried Exhibtion

2012 - Randy Higbee Gallery 6 Inch Squared Holiday Show 2012 (National Juried)

2012 - Debra Huse Gallery Holiday Treasure Salon 2012 (National Juried)

2012 – 44th Annual Watercolor West National Juried Exhibition, Combined Merchandise Award

2012 – San Diego Watercolor Society’s 32nd International Juried Watermedia Exhibition  

2012 – Fremont Art Association’s 47th Annual Open Juried Exhibition, Silver Medal in Watermedia

2012 – Haggin Museum’s 57th National Juried Exhibition Sponsored by Stockton Art League, First Place in Water Media

2012 – Kentucky Watercolor Society’s Aqueous USA 2012 Natioanl Juried Exhibition, Purchase Award, Combined Merchandise Award

2012 – Hawaii Watercolor Society’s 2012 National Juried Watermedia Exhibition 

2012 – Montana Watercolor Society’s Watermedia 2012 National Juried Exhibition, Creative Catalyst Award

2012 – Watercolor Artists of Sacramento Horizons (WASH)'s Annual Open Juried Watercolor Exhibition, Honorable Mention

2012 – Red River Watercolor Society’s 19th National Juried Watermedia Exhibition, Merchandise Award

2012 – Illinois Watercolor Society’s 28th National Juried Watermedia Exhibition, Honorable Mention

2012 – Pacific Art League National Juried Exhibition, “Secret Garden”, Honorable Mention

2012 – Watercolor Art Society – Huston’s 35th International Juried Watermedia Exhibition

2012 – Sanchez Art Center “50-50” Juried Exhibition

2012 – Filoli Garden “Nature Interpreted” Juried Exhibition

2011 – Richeson 75 Small Works National Juried Exhibition

2011 – Philadelphia Watercolor Society’s 111th International Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper

2010 – North West Watercolor Society’s 70th International Juried Watermedia Exhibition, President’s Award

2010 – Louisiana Watercolor Society’s 40th International Juried Watermedia Exhibition

2010 – Los Gatos Art Museum’s State Wide Juried Exhibition

2010 – Society of Western Artists Juried Membership Exhibition, Second Place

2009 – Santa Clara Watercolor Society’s Annual Membership Exhibition, Merchandise Award