Meet Shanae McDevitt | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shanae McDevitt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shanae, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking and fear seem to mingle together, and in my life I’ve tried to take the two on with the mindset that when we take risk, and allow ourselves to feel uncomfortable, is when we grow and evolve. In 2017, just after getting married, my husband and I moved into an RV and began what would become three years of full-time travel around the United States. For more than a year before hitting the road we weighed the risks and finally asked ourselves, “What are we afraid of.. what is the worst possible outcome to doing this?” Once we were able to shift how we looked at the risks associated with this lifestyle change it led us to realize that there were exponentially more positive outcomes than negative. During our three years of travel I grew into the women that I am now, I found my voice as an artist, and was able to align my core values with my lifestyle and craft.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m an artist inspired by nature and wild spaces. During my time as a traveling artist I’ve been awestruck by our country’s national parks, forest service land, and untamed places. It’s in these natural settings that I feel most free, and translate these experiences into my art. I hope that my art evokes feeling in the viewer and becomes a call to action; that as they are pulled into the piece, they are also pushed to go outside and explore the spaces around them. May it remind the viewer that if we are present and purposeful with our time and energy there is beauty all around us.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Most of my own travel revolves around two things; getting into nature and eating yummy food! If a friend were visiting me in the Dallas area I’d be sure to take them to Cedar Hill State Park to explore the trails and water views. I’ve had many happy camping experiences there, and for the adventurous, would suggest spending the night to take in a lakeside sunset and starry night while fireside. My favorite food spot in Dallas is Meddlesome Moth, in the art district. Brunch there is delicious and the quirky stained glass elevates the experience. I’d then suggest walking to explore local shops and thrifting opportunities.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m eternally grateful for my husband, who I jokingly call my studio assistant. I’ve heard that we become the sum of the people we spend the most time with, and I happily hope to spend the majority of the rest of my days with him. He supports my pursuit of what lights me up in ways that are big and small; listening to my dreams, carrying and setting up my plein air supplies, seeking inspiration in nature side by side, cutting custom supplies, and forever offering logical input to my artistic mind.

Website: https://www.shanaemcdevittart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanaemcdevittart/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShanaeMcDevittArt/