Catalog – Shelley Zentner

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Shelley Zentner

Artist | Creative Activism

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Tahoe Activist Artists
- Tahoe Activist Artists: We the People (2017)
- Human Trafficking Campaign (2018)
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Murals

Fundamental Freedoms

Demonstration Pieces

Art of Ashtanga

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My website has been hacked so it’s offline for a

My website has been hacked so it’s offline for a bit whilst people more tech savvy than me are trying to fix it.
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Meanwhile, my daughter and
I have been indulging in low tech river drawing and (gasp!) watercolours. Yes, Americans I spell it with a ‘u’ ;)
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Those of you who know me well will no doubt expect aggressive watercolouring mixed with charcoal, for the full Welsh effect. It didn’t happen! Something has shifted in me again and a gentler touch was surprisingly applied.
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I’m not quite ready to share the watercolours yet, so here’s a sketch from a few days ago when I was testing the water to see if sitting down (another gasp!) would be ok for working. I’m a standing-only practitioner usually, and quite strident about it when I’m teaching so my former students might have a snicker about this. Icy ground, snow and a trapped nerve in my right shoulder has brought about this concession. Truth is, I quite like it.
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So here’s to middle aged attitude adjustments, folding chairs and a river that speaks to me of going with the flow. Cheers, you lovely people.
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#pleinairartist #tahoeartist #christmasvalleyartist #sketchoftheday✏️ #artistsofinstagram #riverpainting #gowiththeflow #lowtech #charcoaldrawing #tahoeartwalk #onewithnature🍃 #observedontabsorb #savetheplanet🌍 #leavenotrace

“When our water here Becomes saturated with pol

“When our water here
Becomes saturated with pollution,
It gets led back to the original water, the ocean.
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After a year of receiving starlight,
The water returns, sweeping new robes along.
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Where have you been? In the ocean of purity. Now I am ready for more cleaning work.”
~Rumi, ‘How we move in Grace”
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Feels like there’s a lot of cleaning work that need a to be done today, and I’m not just thinking about the dirty old dishes in the kitchen sink.
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Increasingly aware of the privilege of spending time responding to the rhythms of the river and all the life that lives, dies and then regenerates the whole system with its matter.
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Surreal to live in a quiet place to sit with nature when Tahoe is being inundated and trashed by tourists. Fear they’re getting closer. Feels like humans are running amok destroying things everywhere.
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Is this how change has to happen? Do we really need to bottom out and take the whole planet with us?

My creative cup is finally filling again. After th

My creative cup is finally filling again. After the 9 month mural painting epic, plus a pandemic holiday for good measure, I haven’t felt capable of drawing or painting for a few weeks. It’s a peculiar thing, this dance with creativity. And it is a dance. Knowing when to lead and when to follow, when to leap in and when to sit out a few songs to get your breath back..that’s the trick, isn’t it?
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I’ve been walking by the river every day, freed from the obsession to record small moments by way of iPhone. Makes me look with a broader lens. Also refusing to carry a sketchbook for a while has freed me to look with abandon, drinking in all the sounds, the rhythms of water and life, the light.
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So yesterday I felt ready. No warning, no waking up knowing. Just walking by the river I felt it. An urgency to go home and pick up the simplest tools. Charcoal, knife. Maybe a little white Conte. Sat on the snowy riverbank and connected. It’s like plugging in. To what? What do you call it? The universe, the muse, life, the force? (Too much Mandolorian with the family over the holiday)
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#creativecup #creativity #sketching #sketchbook #pleinairart #pleinairartist #laketahoeart #southuppertruckeeriver #christmasvalleytahoe #snowyday #riverdrawing #thejourney #thejourneyisthedestination #thedance

This is by far the most ambitious piece I’ve eve

This is by far the most ambitious piece I’ve ever done. Two years of research, design and composition. Nine months of detailed oil painting. 12 x 5 feet. One very happy patron. #exhuasted
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Photo: Anthony Capaiuolo

Pelican-Phoenix ~ ~ ~ #commissionedart #mural #oil

Pelican-Phoenix ~
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#commissionedart #mural #oilspill #oilpainting #wildlifeindanger #stopenvironmentalgenocide #stopenviromentalterrorism #corporategreedkills #saveourplanet🌍

Learning, or rather relearning primal movement wit

Learning, or rather relearning primal movement with @mitch_ashlock has been an incredible experience. We traded skills, so I could learn about what he does to create an image for his business representing the spirit of his work. Mitch considers the whole person in assisting with their health, body, mind and spirit. The circle was a shape that kept coming to mind when sketching designs. This is still a rough version of the final piece, but I like that it reveals the smudges, smears and explorations of the charcoal, searching for the form which expresses primal movement. ~
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#primalmovement #circles #rotations #spinaltwists #yinandyang #energymovement #charcoaldrawings⚫️ #malebodyinart #expressivedrawing #creativepartnerships #planetsaligned

Creative partnerships arrive at just the right tim

Creative partnerships arrive at just the right time these days! @mitch_ashlock contacted me after my Art of Ashtanga show opened at @emanategallery recently. He liked the drawings I did of @lmdjosephy practicing yoga and asked if I could do something like that for him, as he is a personal trainer (He works at @gymlovetahoe) His IG pic is the Vitruvian Man, so I was intrigued right away. I met him to talk about it at @cuppatahoe and I was struck by not only his physical beauty, but also his humble wisdom for such a young man. Of course I wanted to draw him. I could feel charcoal in my hand just looking at him. Then he talked about what he does. He calls it Primal Movement, a practice to reawaken the body’s natural pattern of movement, the way we evolved to hold our bodies. Modern life has distorted our posture..we all know this..sitting too much, using phones, craning our necks forward to read on a tiny screen (like I am now!) I’ve been struggling with neck and shoulder nerve pain for over a year now, and haven’t been able to practice yoga, climb or even hike without carrying my own arms at times. It’s been a weird year. The good thing that came out of all that sitting was a more consistent meditation practice. Trying not to lose my shit over COVID, my daughters schooling, and not exercising was hard. I’ve also been working on the mural a lot, and that puts even more strain on my body. So when Mitch approached me, I asked him if he wanted to trade for the drawing. What better way to get to know what he teaches than to learn from him? We’ve been working together for a few weeks now, and I’m going to share some stories and short videos over the next few weeks. I’ve done a few drawings already, of him moving in my studio, and it was like a kind of magic. I haven’t been able to work with charcoal directly from a human form in years. Talk about primal! Using burnt wood to transcribe rotational and wave form movement felt transcendent. And yes, my lovely husband was around, trusts and understands me enough to draw a half naked young man in my studio.👩🏻‍🎨😂❤️. ~
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This is my first ‘Virtual’ gallery opening, an

This is my first ‘Virtual’ gallery opening, and I have to say I quite like it. When I was younger, I’d have so much anxiety about these events. I’d drink a lot and wear ridiculously high heels for my skill level. Afterwards I’d press my forehead to the floor in shame at the things I’d said about my work, even though the sirens of ridicule I expected to go off, did not. I can’t remember how many exhibitions I’ve had off the top of my head, quite a few. Navigating throngs of people felt exhilarating in my younger years, despite the anxiety, and I sold a lot of art (which made up for a lot) Today is quiet, and I’m able to talk from behind my mask to individuals I can hear properly, and it’s actually really nice. My ego doesn’t scream for crowds and parties any more, and I don’t have to worry about framing or insurance, so I can focus on painting. I’ve just signed up with this lovely gallery, the @emanategallery in South Lake Tahoe. I’m happy to be here, they feel like the right people to handle my drawings #quietmoments #viruallife #virtualartshow #virtualartgallery #yoga #ohm #ashtanga #breathe #drawings #adrawingaday #contemporaryart #figuredrawing #art #artistslife #tahoe #shelleyhocknell #femaleartist #shelleyzentner #exhibition #series #openevening #gallery #mywork #artgallery #virtualopening #emanategallerytahoe #tahoeart #tahoeartwalk #thecrossingtahoe #professionalartist

Announcing new Gallery Representation! @emanategal

Announcing new Gallery Representation! @emanategallery in South Lake Tahoe will now be my exclusive agents and point of sale in Lake Tahoe. This beautiful gallery is owned and run by people I respect and trust.

Benjamin and Angela are kind, approachable and extremely knowledgeable about art, framing, art installation and lighting. In fact, Angela is a master framer and has a workshop in the back of the gallery. She has framed 4 of my drawings, and they look stunning! Emanate will have unframed drawings in the back of house, so clients can choose any available original and have them custom framed if they choose. There will also have prints on metal and paper of various sizes at the gallery.

Online /in person Event: Saturday Sept 5th 2-7pm. Support your community small business this weekend by joining us either online or in-person. Limited space and social distancing will ensure an opportunity for an intimate, quiet art experience. 🍾🎨

Can mushrooms save the world? #mycelliumrunning #p

Can mushrooms save the world? #mycelliumrunning #paulstamets #mushroomsofinstagram #mushroomart #magicmushrooms🍄 #psilocybinmushrooms #expandyourmind #interconnectedness #weboflife

Yesterday’s progress: 4 portraits (Jeremaiah Tow

Yesterday’s progress: 4 portraits (Jeremaiah Tower, Alices Waters, Julia Child, Native American girl eating GMO corn), 3 butterflies ( Monarchs), 3 flowers (Flax and Clover), 5 dead chickens and 1 sharp knife. ~
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#monsantokills #metastasis #nogmo🚫 #roundupkills #pesticides #nomorepesticides #omnivoresdilemma #michealpollan #savemigrantworkers #civilrightsactivist #civilrightsmovement #alicewaters #jeremiahtower #juliachild #doloreshuerta #monarchbutterflies #pollinators #roundupkillsmorethenweeds #roundupkillspollinators #savetheplanet #responsiblefarming #organicfarming #organicfood #eatlocal #cookfromscratch

A drawing session in the forest that began as an a

A drawing session in the forest that began as an academic study, then morphed through memories, emotions and old dirt. The forest is the best place for this kind of medicine, I’m finding. The final pastel strokes described forgiveness and acceptance. A full, zen circle. Such beauty in chaos. It’s almost impossible to sever the creative process from a kind of psychoanalytical journey, so the symbolism is always loaded. I’ll post the final drawing when I’ve stared at it for a few hours and decided it’s finished and ready to send out into the world. ~
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#forestbathing🌲🌲🌲 #artforthesoul❤️ #pleinairartist #pastelart #symbolism #tahoenationalforest #artintheforest #artinthemountains #artistoninstagram #workinprogress

I think this could be the best commission ever. Ma

I think this could be the best commission ever. Massive amount of research, big space, lots of creative license and lunch prepared from scratch by my patron. Today’s portraits were Dolores Huerta, Micheal Pollan, Jeremiah Towers and Alice Waters. Knackered now. Time to breathe outside. #sisepuede💪 #yeswecan #omnivoresdilemma #doloreshuerta #michealpollan #jeremiahtower #alicewaters #foodislife❤️ #nogmo🚫 #monsantosucks #immigrantworkersrights #centralvalleyfarmworkers #pesticideskill #cancer #wip #muralpainting #muralsofinstagram #artcommission

Cloud studies in the rain and wind yesterday..Pete

Cloud studies in the rain and wind yesterday..Peter Prendergast would have been proud! Pages flipping, raindrops in the charcoal, light shifting fast, clouds reshaping moment to moment. Work intuitively, respond (don’t overthink it!) move fast, start again, no judgement, work with feeling, squint, look for simple shapes, use broad strokes, refine with precision just a little here and there, stay loose.

Using homemade charcoal cut from willows by the river outside our house, it was a beautiful ride with the elements. And a powerful reminder to live life in the same way ~
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Beginning color studies for my mural commission. T

Beginning color studies for my mural commission. The 12’ x 5’ oil painting is on the theme of the American food industry. It’s titled ‘The Metastases’ (AKA The Monsanto Mural) I’m balancing the heavy themes of the mural with plein air painting by the river. Nature is teaching me about color, and I’m bringing those lessons to the commission. I’ve been researching and designing this piece for two years now, so it’s pretty exciting to start seeing how it’s going to look with color. I’m way out of my comfort zone, and it’s good. Really uncomfortable but good.
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#southlaketahoe #artistsoninstagram #artoftheday #commissionedart #artist #monsanto #activistart #americanfood #anthonybourdain #colorstudy #artinprogress #wip #artiststudio #natureismyteacher🍃

Join us on Friday fellow creatives! #standwithfloy

Join us on Friday fellow creatives! #standwithfloyd #southlaketahoe #blacklivesmatter✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

🔜Oakland October 2020 . . . Fundamental Freedom

🔜Oakland October 2020
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Fundamental Freedoms
@warehouse416
Oakland
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Solo exhibition of portraits in oil celebrating the radical activism of inspirational women and men by Shelley Zentner
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Women of the Panthers
Oil on Canvas x4
20x20” .
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“The Black Panther Party members not only tried to transform the world; They tried to transform themselves” ~
Robyn C. Spencer, The Revolution has Come: Black Power, Gender and the Black Panther Party in Oakland
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🖐🏿More info to come🤚🏿
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#blacklivesmatter #activistart #protest2020✊🏾 #peacefulprotest #artforcivilrights

Art for Art’s sake has become an outworn adage.

Art for Art’s sake has become an outworn adage. Let it be Art for civilization’s sake, Art for nature’s sake and most of all for beauty’s sake and each man will find his expression in his relation to Art. ~ Lannie Haynes Martin. ~
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George Floyd. Charcoal on Paper 24x21”
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Last night, a crowd of around 400 people gathered

Last night, a crowd of around 400 people gathered at sunset in South Lake Tahoe, peacefully protesting the killing of black people by police. It was a beautiful and moving experience. I saw more black people there than I have ever seen in Tahoe. There were speeches by all kinds of people - it was an impromtu open mic. A black guy named Kenny who is running for city council spoke about the issues people of color face, and what we can all do to raise awareness of racial prejudice.
There were several white, hispanic and asian speakers. There was a young gay man who spoke, amid cheers of encouragement from his peers around me. A punk with a soft pink mohawk and Doc Martens (took me fondly back in time) got up and spoke. A local guy with his 3 year old got up, the kid shouting, 'Black Lives Matter' - and we all responded to his call with loud response and cheers. One speaker related his experiences of police brutality, and movingly shared his suffering with PTSD ever since. He told us that a lot of people with a history of trauma have been triggered by the videos on social media of violence, such as the one of George Floyd dying under the knee of a police officer, uttering his (now notorious) last words, "I can't breathe". Although he didn't condone the violence and looting happening all over the US, he did explain that PTSD can trigger violent reactions in traumatised people. He and other speakers shared local mental health resources for people affected. At the end of the night, we all took the knee in silence for a minute (which seemed like an hour), then lay on our bellies, hands behind our backs, chanting, "I can't breathe". I think that people will be gathering every night at the commons for a while, so maybe you could consider showing up for our brothers and sisters, raise a candle, and add your voice to the chorus, "Black Lives Matter" ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿#standwithfloyd #southlaketahoe #blacklivesmatter #icantbreathe #itisyourrighttobreathe #peacefulprotest #revolution2020protest #revolution #startwithyourself #transformationbeginswithyou #educateyourself #iseeyou #georgefloyd #ahmaudarbery #policebrutalitymuststop #endinstitutionalizedracism #sayhisname✊🏾

#blackouttuesday #enoughisenough #✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

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Tahoe Activist Artists
- Tahoe Activist Artists: We the People (2017)
- Human Trafficking Campaign (2018)
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