Shawneen Finnegan

The exquisite paintings of spread hummingbird tails are the work of the talented wildlife artist, Shawneen Finnegan. Her artistic bent showed up early in life while growing up in the San Francisco Bay area. Beginning at age three her parents cultivated her artistic side at home (both parents were accomplished artists in their own rights). Before she became fascinated with birds she spent her youth drawing and painting people, landscapes and horses (her childhood love).

The birdbath and seed put out by her mother lay the foundation for her later interest in birds. By 1982 the birds had hooked her and eventually she combined her passion for art and birds. Shawneen spent seven years in Cape May, New Jersey, where she produced artwork for private collections, magazines and books. She also led bird and butterfly walks in her capacity as an associate naturalist for the Cape May Bird Observatory. Shawneen, who is a former tour leader for WINGS, moved to Tucson late in 2001 to work full time in the WINGS office. She is the author of BirdArea birding software http://members.aol.com/sbsp/birdarea-info1.htm, She has also given talks and workshops around the country, is on the Board of Advisors for WildBird and is a former member of the California and New Jersey Bird Records Committees. As a new home owner she has happily settled into life in the desert.