"What do you love doing so much that the words failure and success essentially become irrelevant?" - Elizabeth Gilbert

I’m Shelly Collins, a visual artist based in Owasso, Oklahoma, just outside of Tulsa. My creative journey began in the late 1990s when I studied Advertising Design. Since then, I’ve worked across a diverse range of artistic projects. My work blends art and design, and exists alongside my teaching career and my role as a mom to three teenagers.

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Creativity is how I share myself with the world. Art, for me, is a mirror of life—reflecting its chaos, imperfections, and beauty. The core pillars of my artistic expression are authenticity, the understanding that failure is part of the creative process, and finding beauty in imperfection.

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My visual style is rooted in bold colors, shapes, patterns, and typography. I work with mixed media collage, painting, design, and murals. I draw inspiration from both retro and modern design, as well as the natural and urban environments around me. My goal is to create compositions where elements from different worlds—old and new, made and found, natural and urban, order and chaos—dance together in a dynamic and balanced harmony.