Shanley Triggs, a native Vermonter, grew up on a dairy farm in the Champlain Valley town of Milton, Vermont. After studying English at nearby Trinity College of Vermont, she became a school teacher and later worked as a legal secretary for her husband as well as a short stint as Milton town librarian. She was introduced to watercolor painting when she decided to enroll in a local class at the Community College of Vermont. Through this class and others, especially those taught by the late Vermont painter Barbara Smail, she discovered that the challenge and process of creating a painting was something she truly enjoyed and since has devoted over two decades to the medium of watercolor.
She started showing her watercolors in the 90's at art festivals as well as Vermont juried shows in which she received awards for her work. Scenes of her native Vermont, images of favorite flowers, as well as paintings featuring her mother's china tea cups seem to especially resonate with people. In 2002, she created her business known as Vermont H'Art, under which she now sells her original work and prints. Her 5x7 miniature prints can be found in specialty gift shops and country stores througout Vermont and Massachusetts.
In 2006, Shanley was one of twelve "On the Grounds Artists" at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. She was awarded an Artist Development grant by the Vermont Council on the Arts the following year, through which she was able to study egg tempura painting and the art of religious icons, a new and continued area of focus for her. For five years. Shanley was a juried artist at the Burlington City Artists Market in Burlington, Vermont, and thoroughly enjoyed the Saturday morning tradition in which area artists sell their works alongside area farmers taking part in the Farmer's Market in Burlington's City Hall Park.
Shanley is a member of the Vermont Watercolor Society and teaches watercolor classes when her schedule permits as she is a strong advocate of the healing power of art. She is a supporter of the arts and encourages others to make art of any medium.
