Shelley Lowell is a highly accomplished art director, graphic designer and illustrator as well as a visual artist and poet. Her work has won awards for excellence in design and art direction in the following categories: print ads, books, sales literature, menus, newsletters, packaging, stationary and typography. She won the prestigious Merit Award from the NY Society of Illustrators. 

Her creativity and experience is diverse and highly creative. She is a conceptual thinker and turns ideas into reality. She graduated Pratt Institute with a BFA.

She has had a versatile career. In 2022 she was included in Marquis Who's Who in America for her professional integrity and outstanding achievement in her field. Currently, she does projects for individuals on a freelance basis. Her specialty is designing books for genealogy enthusiasts who want to preserve their family history in a book. She takes the project from scanning images of photos, certificates, news articles, etc., color corrects and retouches the photos, designs the book and carries the project through the printing stage.

She worked in the newspaper industry designing advertorial sections and ads for 8 years; was a senior graphic designer for the headquarters of the American Red Cross and design studios. She was an art director for ad agencies and owned a design studio/ad agency.

Shelley is also known for her portrait paintings (She prefers candid poses rather than formal) of people and dogs, cats, birds and horses, etc. on a commissioned basis for discerning clients. https://www.GreatPetPaintings.com  Her personal art has been in gallery and museum exhibitions, including The Bronx Museum of The Arts and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. It is in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Feminist Art Base on the Brooklyn Museum website. https://www.shelleylowell.com

Award-winning Senior Graphic Designer, Art Director and Illustrator

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Shelley Lowell, Prescott Valley, AZ
September 2022 - Present
Designs books for new clients. Works with existing clients for their ongoing graphic design needs. Works in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and PowerPoint. Paints people and animal portraits on a commissioned basis. Paints personal art and writes poetic stories.

Shelley Lowell Graphic Design & Illustration, Danbury, CT
January 2013 - September 2022
Designs print and digital ads, brochures, books, branding, direct mail pieces, Business presentations and vehicle wraps. Works in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and PowerPoint. Paints people and animal portraits on a commissioned basis. 

Hearst Media Services CT– Stamford, CT - Graphic Artist, Full-time
October 2008 - December 2012
Created CMYK/BW print ads for The Advocate, Greenwich Time, Brooks Community 
Newspapers and HealthyLife Magazine.  Designed advertorial special sections including covers and interior pages for 2 daily and 6 weekly newspapers. Designed insert sheets, brochures, sales and internal training literature. Designed logos for new products. Wrote and edited copy as needed. Created FLASH ads and artwork for websites. Worked in Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.

Patuxent Publishing, Towson, MD - Spec Ad Designer, Full-time
(Company now owned by Baltimore Sun)
January 2007 - August 2008
Created spec print ads, BW and CMYK. Worked in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator.

Patuxent Publishing, Columbia, MD - Graphic Designer, Part-time 
April 2004 - January 2007
Created BW and CMYK print ads and special section covers. Promoted to Spec Ad Designer, full time. Worked in QuarkXpress before company switched to InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. 

EARLIER CAREER
Freelance / Temp Art Director, Graphic Designer and Illustrator, VA, MD and DC
Instructor, Hand Painted Furniture, Continuing Ed and Community Arts Programs,  
     NC, MD, CT
Lark Books, Asheville, NC – Created 3-D projects for how-to craft books   
Shelley Lowell Design, Graphic Designer, NYC, Atlanta, GA and DC  – branding,  
     books, sales literature, packaging, menus and more
Benton & Bowles, NY, NY, Art Director, TV commercials, print ads
Seigel & Gale, NY, NY (Company was Vanderpool & Siegel) Graphic Designer – 
    packaging, branding, environmental signage
Sudler & Hennessey, NY, NY, Assistant Art Director – print ads, brochures, packaging

SELECTED AWARDS
2022 Marquis Who's Who in America, approved as a subject of biographical record for  
         her professional integrity and outstanding achievement in her respective fields. 
2007 2nd Place, Local Retail Color Ad, Northeast Booster Reporter, Maryland-
         Delaware-DC Press Association
2007 1st Place, Local Retail B&W Ad, North County News, Maryland-Delaware-DC 
         Press Association 
2006 3rd Place, Class A, Best Single ROP Ad, 2 or more colors, Westminster Eagle, 
         Suburban Newspapers of America
2005 1st Place, Local Retail Color Ad, Eldersburg Eagle, Maryland-Delaware-DC 
         Press Association
2004 2nd Place, Local Retail B&W Ad, Howard County Times, Maryland-Delaware- 
         DC Press Association
1993 Restaurant Graphics From Matchbooks To Menus, Rockport Publishers, 
        photo of menu
1992 Printing Association of Georgia, Annual Graphic Arts Award, Best of Category - 
         Process Color Menu
1991 Award of Excellence for Newsletter Design, National Newsletter Association, 
         Trade Category
1986 Society of Illustrators NYC, 28th Annual Exhibition, Juried Show, Merit Award,
         work published in Illustration 28, Annual of American Illustration, 
         Arpi Ermoyan 1987
1985 Graphics: USA, 8th Annual DESI Award, Excellence in Design - Sales Literature
1983 Print’s Regional Design Annual, Book Design, photo of book
1983 Art Directors Club NYC, Juried Show, 62nd Annual Exhibition, Merit Award,  
         Book Design, photo in Art Directors Club 62nd Annual
1983 Printing Association of Georgia, Annual Graphic Arts Award, 1st Place - 
         2 Color Stationery Design
1982 American Institute of Graphic Arts NYC, Juried Show, The Book Show, 
         Excellence in Book Design, photo in annual
1981 National Hardware Association, The Hardware Magazine, Silver Medal 
         for Packaging, The Drummer Award
1979 The Type Directors Club NYC, Juried Show, Excellence in Typographic 
         Design Award

EDUCATION
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Illustration/Communications Design, Dean's List