Shelby Maynard is a self-taught artist from a tiny town; in southern interior British Columbia. Painting for her; started as a way to cope after failing to graduate high school alongside her peers. At the age of 8 years old she was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Poly-Articular Arthritis, and from there she was put on heavy immunosuppressant drugs to help combat the deterioration of her joints. By the time she reached high school; her body and spirit were weak. School became near impossible to attend, especially given the fact that there was little to no resources for any type of support in the rural community.

After finally feeling strong enough to leave the town and start her life at the age of 19, she started painting in search for a will to keep going. It became a way for her to create something productive out of the lost and empty feelings she held at the time. Shortly after moving, she was scouted by a modelling agency and her journey in fashion began. Her art continued to be an emotional pillar for her as she navigated the cutthroat nature of the fashion industry.

It wasn’t until August 2024 after the chance request and sale of her commission “The Vermillion Girl”, did she consider the possibility of doing something more serious with her art. Now she continues to work on her first ever collection wherever and whenever she can. Shelby usually paints on the floor or on the ground of the places she is living at the time, as packing an easel seems impractical when travelling the world as a model. Her goal with her art and with this collection is to create pieces that allow the viewer to get lost, while being transported into a world of her very own.