Shelly Bartek, is known internationally as an impressionist artist earning top commissions from leading corporations. Born in a country setting upon vast rolling hills leads to the spirit of land and sky within it inspiring a narrative. Each element with its own role in a journey of a Biographical story. Shelly's signature is painting with oil medium and Gold Leaf bringing focus into contemplation. As the Gold leaf captures the ever-changing natural light it reflects creating an illusion. It's as if a real sunset were beaming beneath the painted clouds. Her subject varies but is never far from the prairie's spirit and always looking through another lens influencing a Symbolic message. "My work's journey connects with nature blending a poetic mix of pigments and gold leaf, transforming light onto the canvas. My purpose is to create a window that brings joy." - Bartek Her talent was recognized early, winning 1st place National Scholastic Award, and a Scholarship to Kansas City Art Institute. Holding a Commercial Arts Degree in illustration. She received world exposure by her honored commission for the United Nations International Collective Stamp Series. She served prestigious clients such as Paramount Pictures, Wall Street Journal, and American Airlines and she held a 10-year campaign as an artist for the Miller Coors, and Blue Moon Companies that partnered into an expansive lending national brewery. Coming into her own art expression Shelly primarily developed her fine art style training with artists Hal Holoun, Steve Roberts, Susan Knight, Artist Inc... She's pursued her innate Gold Leaf techniques from Vladislav Anderjev, Director of the Prosopon School of Iconography, New York. She's been accepted in residencies, Red Ink Studio, in San Jose California, and Kimmble Harding Nelson Center, Nebraska City. Presently her art is collected privately and exhibited in Galleries stretching from California to Florida. She was an honored finalist of the Nebraska Arts 1% Grant for the Buffet Cancer Center installation proposal. Also earned Top 200 Finalist in the National "Paint America” competition, earned the OEAA Visual Arts Winners Showcase, and the Juried 2017, 2019, and 2021 Nebraska Artist Biennials. Recently, her published art made it to America's largest Markets at High Point, attaining representation by Anthropologie and other leading stores distributing her prints worldwide.