Shelly is an illustrator and graphic novel artist born in Ohio and currently based in San Diego, California. She became a first-generation graduate in 2020 and received a BA in English Literature from California State University, East Bay. Her artworks were recently showcased in the Renegade Feedings Fundraiser for the Unhoused Community Art Show in October 2019. She sells her art locally in shops downtown and in her own online store.
After recently rediscovering her love for art, she hasn’t put her pencil down since! She loves working with digital and traditional mediums and specializes in drawing fantasy worlds sprinkled with magic, along with imaginative, whimsical characters. Her style is influenced by classic fairy tales, animations, surrealism, and nature. She grew up reading Neil Gaiman, Harry Potter and watching animated movies by Studio Ghibli. Her favorite movie is Coraline.
Shelly aspires to create inclusive, diverse stories that are fun and meaningful at the same time. Her artwork often includes people she grew up with and the different cultures she has experienced. She hopes to one day publish her own stories with her illustrations and inspire others with her art. She mainly creates illustrations for picture books, graphic novels, chapter book covers/interior illustrations. She also adores creating anything that encourages children to read.
When not drawing, Shelly can be found playing music with her guitar or reading books filled with magical realism and faraway lands. Or, you may find her making Filipino food with her mom and her sister.