About the Artist
Born in Wales, Great Britain, Shelley came to the United States in 2005 on a bouldering road trip, fell in love and never left. She now lives with her husband and young daughter in Christmas Valley, where she paints in her riverside studio.
Shelley’s paintings have been exhibited internationally since 1996 at venues that include The Museum Of Modern Art, Wales, The Bristol Guild of Art, and The Royal Cambrian Academy.
During 2000-2005 Shelley established her own successful art gallery and open studio in her native Wales, supported and sponsored by the Prince’s Trust, The Arts Council of Wales, DMM International, The Royal Oak Hotel, and Arts & Business.
Shelley had the honor of meeting art enthusiast Prince Charles in 2002. She has been a featured artist at several international mountain film Festivals in the UK, and her work toured with the prestigious Wales Drawing Bienalle. She held solo exhibitions of her work at Penrhyn Castle, The Albany Gallery, Ogilvy & Estill Contemporary Art Gallery in the UK.
Recent exhibitions include, ‘Fundamental Freedoms’ at the Foyer Gallery in Lake Tahoe Community College, “We the People” at The Tahoe Mountain Lab, and “Rising from the Fire” at High Vibe Artisan Collective in South Lake Tahoe, USA.
In addition to her art career, Shelley teaches oil painting, drawing and art history Lake Tahoe Community College.
Shelley is a founding member of the local activist group, Tahoe Activist Artists, whose mission is to promote compassion, conversation and connection in their local community through art.
Tahoe Arts Alliance awarded Shelley the ‘Artist Innovator Award’ in 2019.
Solo Exhibitions
Coming in 2020 – Fundamental Freedoms – Warehouse 416, Oakland, CA
2018 – Fundamental Freedoms – Foyer Gallery, Lake Tahoe Community College
2011 – Written on the Body – Bona Fide Books, Meyers CA
2008 – New Life: Kokanee – The Dragonfly, Truckee, CA
New Life: Kokanee – The Foyer Gallery, Lake Tahoe Community College
New Terrain: Wineries & Landscapes of the Sierra Nevada Trio, Truckee, CA
2007 – New Life: Kokanee – The Dorion Gallery, Sacramento, CA
New Life – The Riverside Gallery, Truckee
2002 – Featured Artist Llanberis Mountain Film Festival, UK (2003, 2004)
2000 – The Colour of Fear – Brewery Arts Center, Kendal UK (in conjunction with Kendal Mountain Film Festival)
Establishment of The Shelley Hocknell Gallery, Betws y Coed, UK
1999 – Climbing the Walls Touring Exhibition
Penrhyn Castle, Bangor, UK
Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw, UK
Ogilvy & Estill Gallery, Conwy UK
1997 – Intimate Illusions – Limited Editions Gallery, Bristol, UK
1996 – Recent work from the Basque Country – The Boston Tea Party, Bristol, UK
1995 – Leap of Faith – The Bristol Guild of Applied Art, UK
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2017 – Tahoe Activist Artists: Rising from the Fire – High Vibe Society, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Tahoe Activist Artists: We the People – Tahoe Mountain Lab, South Lake Tahoe, CA
Faculty Show, Halden Gallery, Lake Tahoe Community College 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018
2010 – MAIYA Gallery, Sacramento, CA
New Visions Gallery, WI Culture + Agriculture
2009 – The Rooms Gallery, South Wales, UK
Rogers Jones Auction House, The Welsh Fine Art Sale
2008 – The Marji Gallery, Santa Fe
The Village Art Gallery, Lake Tahoe, Women in Art
Rogers Jones Auction House, Welsh Fine Art Sale
2007 – Sierra Arts, Reno The Fall Art Show
Royal Cambrian Academy, UK Young Wales 1998 / 2000 / 2001
1999 – The Wales Drawing Bienalle Touring Exhibition, Wrexham Arts Center
2000 – Museum of Modern Art for Wales, Machynlleth, UK Showcase Wales
The Albany Gallery, Cardiff, UK New Welsh Artists Show.
Selected Interviews, Reviews & Publications
Climbing Magazine, UK High Lines 2018
Illustrators Journal, Winter Edition 2018
BlogTalk Radio, Winter 2017
Alpinist Magazine, USA 2011 Issues 33 and a full colour spread in issue 34. Click here to read
Get out of my Crotch! 21 Writers respond to America’s War on Women’s Reproductive Rights, Cover art, 2013
Edge Volume 4, Tahoe Writers Works 2010
KUNR Radio, Artist in Residence 2008
Summit Magazine (British Mountaineering Council) UK The Art of Climbing 2007
Tahoe Quarterly, Art Notes 2007, Best of 2010 Art Notes, Tahoe Masters
High Art: Award Winning Film Documentary. Fridge Productions 2005
HTV News (Wales, UK) Moving on Upwards 2002
Climber Magazine, UK 2001
BBC News Artist of the Rockfaces 2000
On the Edge Magazine Art imitates life 2000
Y Sioe Gelf (The Art Show) HTV Wales 1999
Grants, Awards & Sponsorship
Nevada Arts Council
Arts & Business New Partners
Welsh Development Agency
The Prince’s Trust
Arts Council of Wales
DMM International
The Royal Oak Hotel
Celtec
Tahoe Arts Alliance
Education
Art & Visual Culture (B.A) Hons
University of the West of England, UK 1997
Still Life Workshop with Carol Marine, Santa Fe 2007
Portrait Workshop with Steven Assael, Bay Area Classical Atelier, CA 2017
Classical Figure Painting Workshop with Juliette Aristedes, Scottsdale School of Art, AZ 2018