Shelah Riley is a Lancaster Photographer, Artist and Educator.

A 2012 graduate of Millersville University, Shelah’s work explores themes of self-discovery, connection, and mental wellness.

Inspired by shadows and light, yin and yang; oppositional forces have always played a role in the art Shelah makes. By seeing beauty in both ends of the spectrum, she finds balance.

In this series of abstract paintings, the many lines and shapes are formed by the writing of words. Some are scribbled, other times written in neat rows. She uses the canvas as a place to explore the constant stream of thoughts running through her mind.

Freely writing on the canvases allows Shelah to reach a flow state, where the act of painting can become meditative. In the chaos of the overlapped words, she finds patterns and creates her own system.

“For many years, I was unsure of how to describe my process, until one day it clicked. I am a rule follower; even in this space where I can be free, I like to create rules. Often they’re quite arbitrary- as in-l must start by adding color to all of the circular shapes formed, next the squares, and then I connect the areas. Or, I must work left to right, or right to left. I must spin the canvas and work on it in a different direction when I get from top to bottom… etc”

Often, the challenge is to remember that these “rules” are arbitrary, and include the option to adhere to the self prescribed rules, or to disregard them.

The series of paintings exhibit a “push/pull” dynamic where the end result is an integration of peace and chaos.