Llael Shannon-McDonald
Llael was born 11 April 1976 and grew up in the inner city suburb of Spotswood, Melbourne. With brush in hand and an amazing ability to capture a seemingly ordinary moment and turn it into something extraordinary. Llael started painting in oils at the age of 7 and sold her first painting at 15. She has been a professional exhibiting artist since the age of 16.
In 1993 Llael enrolled at lCAD (Independent college of art and design) in Prahran, Melbourne, a non-profit art school run by the students and teachers on Chapel St. Here she was a student of Artist Terry Mattasoni in her major of oil painting. She also studied Photography, Popular Culture and Art history for four years and received her Bachelor of Fine Art and Design in 1996.During her four years at ICAD Llael exhibited her work at 101 Collins in the CBD of Melbourne (1995), The ICAD Galleries in Prahran, Melbourne (1993 to 1996) The Cherry Tree Restaurant in Prahran, Melbourne (1996).
Llael has exhibited at the Pantechnicon Gallery in Daylesford in Joint exhibitions and in a solo exhibition entitled “Observations in Light. At the Melbourne International art show and Pivotal Galleries in Richmond (2004 to 2005).
Llael was involved with launching The Interlock Project which is a network of artists sharing ideas and concepts within the western region of Melbourne (2006- 2006)
Llael also continually holds private viewings of her work in her studios and exhibits at Art show in her local area.
In recent years Llael has done commission work for businesses, offices and sold her works to private collectors all over the world. She has multiple articles in the press for her local images of the west and features regularly in the Arts scene in the western suburbs of Melbourne where she grew up. Llael has also adapted her style into CGI and photo manipulation. Her commercial ventures are seeing her spread into a much wider market.
Llael’s artwork is inspired by Melbourne’s suburbia (predominantly the west where she grew up) and the private goings on of its inhabitants. She captures small seemingly insignificant moments or suburban life and turns them into images with a thousand explanations and stories. While here CGI work explores more commercial avenues with clients employing her to make people respond to their products with her imagery and concepts.
“Suburbia hides some of the most beautiful and complex images you will ever see. It is rich in stories far more sensual, thrilling and dangerous than any Hollywood movie; you just have to search for them”.