Shannon Thomas was raised in Boise, Idaho, and currently resides in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. She has studied art at Metropolitan State University in Minnesota, the Kansas City Art Institute, the Art League in Alexandria, VA, and Shepherd University, Shepherdstown. She is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, retired after serving more than 30 years. After a battle with breast cancer, she retired from the military in 2017 to pursue her lifelong dream of being an artist. She now balances her time between painting, preserving an historic property, and working as a part time event planner. She enjoys painting portraits and landscapes, often inspired by travels and the desire to convey the feeling of a special moment or place. Her primary mediums are acrylic painting and soft pastels.