OM.2024.122 - Peggy Shepherd - USA

OM.2024.122 - Peggy Shepherd - USA - The Color of Sweetness - collage on panel - 8 x 8 inches - Visual Poetry and Color

 Peggy Shepherd is an Abilene, Texas-based multi-faceted digital artist, painter, and photographer known for leveraging abstract visuals as a tool for emotional healing. Navigating a dual career as a dedicated Hendrick Hospice clinical social worker and fine artist, her body of work heavily centers on themes of motherhood, loss, community, and memory. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Mediums and Artistic Style

• Abstract & Macro Photography: Initially picking up the camera to continue the creative legacy of her late son, Scott, Shepherd captures vibrant, up-close images. She frequently prints on high-gloss metal or digitally enhances her photos into surreal, organic shapes reminiscent of Georgia O'Keeffe. [1, 2]
• Mixed Media & Collage: She balances her digital photography with tactile, physical creations, working extensively with paper, enameling, clay, and painting. [1, 2, 3]
• Cathartic Themes: Much of her artistic expression functions as visual journaling, using natural imagery—like intersecting tree branches, water lilies, and dynamic floral close-ups—to represent the complexities of personal grief and renewal. [1, 2]

Community Leadership & Activism

• Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA): Shepherd is deeply embedded in the West Texas arts scene, currently serving as the Membership President for the Center for Contemporary Arts in Abilene. She was honored as the institution's Volunteer of the Year for her work facilitating local artist events and youth literacy festivals. [1, 2]
• Abilene Creative Arts Club: She acts as a past president and prominent face of this historic organization, contributing to its multi-decade legacy in the region. [1]
• West Texas Photographic Society (WTPS): An active competitor and member, Shepherd frequently places in regional competitions for her enhanced and thematic landscape imagery. [1, 2]

Prominent Exhibitions

Shepherd's work is regularly showcased in competitive juried exhibitions throughout the state. Notable installations include: [1]

• Seen/Unseen: A Visual Journey of Motherhood, Loss, and Healing (2026): A headline collaborative initiative alongside the Perinatal Care Foundation, pairing local artists with bereaved families to turn stories of infant loss and infertility into cathartic gallery pieces.
• Papered (2026): A joint exhibition exploring textures alongside artist Elizabeth Bogard.
• Kaleidoscope Color (2024): Her second major solo feature, highlighting her abstract metal-printed photography. [, 2, 3, 4]