About the Artist
Neil Shaw is a retired Monterey County, California, Forensic (police sketch) Artist and
Deputy Sheriff with over 20 years experience. He spent over 10 years specializing in Forensic Art; hand-drawing criminal suspects from witness descriptions and forensic sculpting; fashioning clay over a human skull to form
a likeness of the victim.
He trained at Scottsdale Artists’ School and at the FBI Academy, in Quantico, Virginia where he studied forensic art
and sculpture.
Although this was a vital public service that Neil provided, and
he was good at it, this art-form did little for him as a creative artistic outlet. From forensic drawing came Neil’s
hidden talent of fine portraiture. It began when a news reporter saw one of Neil’s crime sketches and liked it enough
to commission Neil for a portrait. Since then, Neil has done many portrait commissions to include a sizeable commission by
The Stokes Collection Art Gallery
in Carmel, CA.
The inherent stress
of law enforcement and the macabre nature of Forensic Art, caused Shaw to seek a temporary escape from the harsh realities
of law enforcement.
Neil began taking trips to Maui and Hawaii where
they found their niche. Neil was so inspired by the island lifestyle, rich traditions and marine life that he began painting
tropical scenes. Since then, Neil has left law enforcement and is now painting professionally.
In Neil’s earlier years, he
was a Humane Officer with the SPCA of Monterey County where, among other duties, he performed cruelty investigations,
wildlife and marine mammal rescue, at Monterey Bay.
This gave him his appreciation and respect of these amazing creatures. His experience, respect and admiration
for animal and marine life manifest itself in Neil’s very-unique bird and dolphin paintings. Neil Shaw’s off-beat imagination and unmistakable painting
style creates an artistic fusion unseen anywhere else.
Neil's art is currently a featured
in Hawaii, at The Image Station in Kihei, Maui.
