Colby Community College graduate Shela Reilley will be featured at Studio Friday hosted
by Colby Community College on Friday, Dec. 4, in Ferguson Hall, rooms #502 and #503.
The event will be held from 9 a.m.-12 noon and from 1-3 p.m. Area artists including
high school students are invited to attend this presentation of Reilley’s works. She
will be giving two presentations. The morning session will begin at 9 a.m. with the
afternoon session starting at 1 p.m.
Reilley primarily paints in pastels which provide intense colors. She paints rural
landscapes, mountain scenes and urban scenes. She paints in a representational style
with much liberty given to color combinations.
Reilley, a graduate of Colby Community College, received a bachelor’s degree from
Kansas State University in fashion design. She moved to New York City where she was
employed as a children’s wear clothing designer and staff artist for London Fog, Gitano,
Jordache and Simplicity. Later she moved from New York, and after living in the San
Francisco Bay area for two years she and husband Kelly settled in Aurora, Colo.
“Today I volunteer frequently at our two sons’ school art rooms and teach adult art
classes for the City of Aurora,” said Reilley. “I’ve taken many art workshops and
classes and have studied with Doug Dawson at the Denver Arts Students League. Though
my favorite medium is pastels, I also enjoy other mediums, including oils.”
Reilley has received numerous awards including “Best of Show” in the Gateway to the
Rockies Art Show in 2000 and 2005. Four of her paintings were among the 150 selected
by jurors Neil Patterson, Oil Painters of America President, and Kristin Hoerth, Southwest
Art magazine editor-in-chief, for the 2011 Kansas Art Competition. These paintings
were included in the State of the Art/Kansas, The Artistic Perspective. In 2012 she
had two paintings accepted into the Paint America 2012 competition. Examples of her
works can be found at www.shelareilley.com
For more information regarding the presentation or to receive a list of needed materials
for those who wish to do the pastels with Reilley, contact CCC Art Instructor Rebel
Jay at (785) 269-7065. There is no charge to attend.