The following is courtesy of Sue Willoughby (Prescott, Arizona) who got the information from the artist:

A painter of western subjects, Shawn Cameron has ranching heritage that goes back many generations. Her family has been chronicled on the pages of Arizona history books. Her paternal grandparents drove cattle down the Oregon Trail into Arizona in the 1870s to establish ranches, schools and stores in the northern part of the state. Her maternal grandparents lived in southern Arizona during that same period and founded cattle ranches, businesses and Indian Trading Posts. Today, her family continues to make their living cattle ranching in the northern regions of Arizona.

Of her work, Shawn writes: "I love to paint and paint what I see and love...the West". Shawn has been drawing and painting horses and cattle since childhood and her artistic nature was evident in her pursuits of music, writing, and drawing, but she now devotes full time to her artwork.

She often paints from life, but takes photographs to enable more work to be done in her studio. She works in oils, pencil and pastel and gathers most of her material by riding horseback with her husband while working cattle, which they run on their desert range. She has also taken classes at the Scottsdale Artists' School and has been mentored by several well-known contemporary painters. She continues learning and studying today through many avenues including the works of deceased artists whom she researches in her personal library. Her studio, a remodeled old water tower built in the 1930s, is next to her house and overlooks the canyons of the Verde River near Prescott, Arizona.

Exhibitions:
Cowgirl Up! Show 2006-2008
C.M Russell Auction 2006-2008
March, 2003-Cattlemen's Western Art Show
June, 2003 Prix de West, Western Heritage Museum Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City

Awards:
Cowgirl Up! Show 2007 Artist's Choice Award
C.M. Russell 2008 Co-Featured Artist

Periodicals:
2008 February, "40th Annual C.M. Russell Art Auction", Western Art Collector
2007 December, Cover Image Rocky Mountain Rider
2004 April 2004, Cover illustration Western Horseman
2003 April 2003, Article in Western Horseman.
2002 May/June issue of Art of the West Magazine.
1999 December issue of Western Horseman Magazine
1998 May issue of the Santa Fe Magazine

Like many in her field, Shawn is considered an accomplished professional in the arena of Western Art but her roots run deeper than most when it comes to subject matter. Her work is a passionate reflection of what she knows personally, Western ranch life.

Her family's involvement in the state's cattle business began over 135 years ago. Both sides of her family are Arizona pioneers. Her paternal great-grandfather, James Henry Wingfield, his father, two brothers and their families used oxen to pull their covered wagons west on the Oregon Trail, then traveled south with horse drawn wagons to Arizona crossing the Colorado River with 200 head of cattle in 1875. They settled in the area of Camp Verde. A family brand registered by them in 1885 is reportedly one of the state's oldest on file. Her maternal grandfather, John Osborne, rode horseback to Arizona from Kansas in 1908. He obtained work near Globe at the largest ranch in Arizona, the Chiricahua Cattle Company, better known as the "Cherrycows". He moved to general manager in 1915. He eventually owned several ranches and in 1961 was honored as Cattleman of the Year by the Arizona Cattlegrowers Association. That legacy continues as Shawn and Dean's children carry ranching into the fifth generation. She credits the Lord, a lifelong love affair with art and a unique family heritage for her perspective of the west.

Possessing a deep appreciation for the true cowboy, the elements of his world become an inspiration for her work. There is nobility about him. As Poet Utah Phillips wrote about the cowboy, "If dirt were a kingdom, then he would be king." Artistic talent manifested itself at an early age and art education was provided through formal and informal settings. Several mentors were influential but the early encouragement of Joe Beeler, Bill Owen and Robert "Shoofly" Shufelt proved valuable. Others she has studied with include: Jim Wilcox, Dan Robinson, Bill Anton, Mark Daily, Jim Norton CAA, Ron Riddick CAA, Matt Smith, Martin Grelle CAA, Bruce Greene CAA, and sculptor, John Coleman. Her primary medium is oil but she has worked in pencil, watercolor, pastel and clay.

While raising her children on the ranch, she obtained a Bachelors of Education with a minor in Written Expression yet art remained her first love. She had come to a fork in the road requiring a career decision. It was Dean who provided the counsel, strength and courage she needed to travel the uncharted course of her artistic development. He remains a major source of encouragment and support. After many years in the art world she retains the heart of a student whose goal is continual improvement.

A water tower remodeled into a modern studio near their home, sits on the banks of the Verde River north of Prescott, Arizona. Horses are within a few feet of her door and provide an opportunity to sketch and paint from life. These studies are then taken indoors as painting resources. Material is gathered on family ranches. Her studio paintings include men and livestock with vital connections to the contemporary ranching scene. Her family is often part of this story. Because of her intimate relationship to the animals and cowboys, she takes pride in portraying them accurately.

Several publications have featured Shawn's work including Southwest Art, Western Art Collector, Art of the West and Western Horseman. Her paintings have served as the cover of Equine Art and Western Horseman. The Arizona Cowpuncher's Rodeo and Prescott Cowboy Poetry Gathering are among those who've used her paintings on their posters

Shawn Cameron, b. 1950, Phoenix, AZ (United States)

Shawn Cameron paints western events and scenery she has personally experienced. Both of her parents are products of Arizona pioneer ranching families whose legacy in the state began over 130 years ago. It has been reported by the Arizona State Brand Department that a family brand, the Hatchet, is believed to be the oldest on file. She credits the Lord, her personal experiences and her family's heritage for her unique perspective. Possessing a deep appreciation and respect for the true cowboy, the elements of his world become an inspiration for her art.

Cameron began to draw and paint as a child and has continued to study and grow. There have been a number of mentors but special credit is given to Arizona cowboy artists Bill Owen and Joe Beeler as positive factors in her career. Bob "Shoofly" Shufelt also served as a strong catalyst as she began her career. Her primary medium is oil but she has also worked in pencil, pastel, watercolor and clay.

Education
• Bachelor of Art, Education and Written Expression, Prescott College

Selected Exhibitions
• Briscoe Museum, Night of the Artists, San Antonio, TX, 2011-2013
• Desert Caballeros Museum, Cowgirl Up!, Wickenburg, AZ, 2006-2013
• Phippen Museum, Phippen Miniature Masterpiece Show, Prescott, AZ, 2006-2013
• The Mountain Oyster Club Show, Tucson, AZ, 1991-2013
• Western Heritage Museum, Great Works Small Wonders, Oklahoma City, OK, 2007-2012
• C.M. Russell Museum, C.M Russell Auction, Great Falls, MT, 2005-2011
• Cowgirl Museum, Heart of the West, Ft. Worth, TX, 2008-2010
• Western Heritage Museum, The Prix de West Show, Oklahoma City, OK, 2003-2009
• The Peppertee Art Show, Santa Ynez, CA, 2002-2004
• Desert Caballeros Museum, Women Artists of the Twentieth Century, Wickenburg, AZ, 2001
• Phippen Art Museum, Arizona Women, Prescott, AZ, 2001
• The Cattleman's Western Art Show, Passo Robles, CA, 1997-2003
• Phippen Art Museum, The Phippen Western Art Show, Prescott, AZ, 1991-1995

Selected Press
• Western Art Collector, "Wild Country," Scottsdale, AZ, June 2011
• Rocky Mountain Rider, Cover Artwork, Hamilton, MT November 2007, March 2009
• Western Art Collector, "A Cowgirl's Diary", Scottsdale, AZ, March 2009
• Western Horseman, "Quiet Pride," Fort Worth, TX, October, 2008
• Southwest Art, "The Real Thing," Broomfield, CO, November 2008
• Persimmon Hill, "Cowboy in the West," Oklahoma City, OK Autumn 2004
• Western Horseman, Cover Artwork, Fort Worth, TX, April 2004
• Western Horseman, Artist Profile, Fort Worth, TX December 1998 and April 2003
• Santa Fean, Gallery Previews, Santa Fe, NM, April 2003
• Southwest Art, "Start Your Collection," Broomfield, CO, March 2003
• Art of the West, "Stirring the Emotions," Minnetonka, MN April-May 2002
• American Art Review, "A Century of Arizona Women Artists," Stratham, NH February 2001
• Art Talk , "Artists to Watch,"1993

Awards
• Mountain Oyster Club, Honorary Member, 2013
• C.M. Russell Museum, Auction Co Featured Artist, 2008
• Desert Caballeros Museum, Artist's Choice Award, 2007
• Phippen Western Art Show, Phippen Family Award, 1992