Hi, my name’s Blake. I’m an Artist and oil painter from Washington state.

I’ve lived in Washington my whole life and growing up, tucked into a beautiful corner of the Pacific Northwest, my earliest memories are of Washington’s various scenery. Without me fully knowing it, God was stirring in my heart a deep appreciation and sense of awe for His creation. The trees, clouds, waves, and mountains, that surrounded me growing up, all echo the praises of their Maker. The world that has been created, captivated my soul and has always drawn me to the act of creation- joining with the rest of creation in praising the Maker.

Painting only joined my creative process in the fall of 2021. Before that, I primarily used LINE (or drawing) as the sole medium for my creative expression. My drawings were random, hyper-fixations that came and went throughout the years- superheros and comics- manga and anime sketches- character design- illustration and anatomy studies. I never fully committed to one style or genre, but I fully committed to creating. I knew that deciding to make new things and to draw, was in a strange but beautiful way, me communing with my God. And so drawing consumed my life!

For Christmas in 2021, my Mom asked me to paint a large cloud painting. Knowing nothing about paint (besides brief experimentation with watercolor in elementary school) I decided to use acrylic for my Mom’s painting. To say the least, I was dissatisfied with the paint’s drying time, but even more so with my skill. Being stubborn I dove head-long into oil paints, determined to better my skill with color until the vision and images I could see in my mind could be clearly on display on the canvas.

From there Christ has fanned that spark into a forrest fire. My passion for Creation and for making new things, have met in painting. Through the lens of painting, I can clearly see the beauty of all He’s made!

I believe that Artists are God’s interpreters, charged with creatively communicating the ever-new glory of creation, to those around them. And this is through whatever means you create in, be it painting, drawing, music, poetry…

When I see creation and I stop to think about what my eyes are observing, I almost always experience an immense sense of AWE; gratitude flows out of my heart towards all He’s made for us to experience.

I see beauty in the sunrises but also the dead or dying trees- in the mighty oak and the barreling storm over head- in the crashing of waves and the rocks the waves beat up against. All these things, from the greatest of mountains to the smallest of pinecones, make me say, “Wow, what an excellent Creator!”

It’s that feeling of awe that I want you, the viewer, to see in my paintings. Yes I am the painter, but I have a Maker and I would rather be a sign post to Him through my work.

I invite you to see the beauty, glory, and majesty of our God as you you look at my paintings.

-Blake Franklin Shambaugh