American, b. 1984 Shawn Huckins was not inspired by the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, or DaVinci. As a young boy in the second grade, Huckins found inspiration in someone who he affectionately refers to as the ‘Big Kid.’ Observing the ‘Big Kid’ and his drawing talents during a school bus ride home, Huckins took to creating his own sketches. Now a painter, Huckins' introduction to painting came in the form of a family loss when his grandmother passed away a year later and inherited her slightly used oil painting set.Unfortunately, Huckins’ love affair with painting did not last long. As the medium was not quite what he was used to, he became increasingly frustrated, and stepped away from painting altogether until his college years. After a little globetrotting and some brief stints as a film major, an architecture major, and then as a graphic designer, Huckins found his way back to the medium that he now skillfully manipulates.Now settled in a creative niche that he could call home, Huckins went onto create his most notable series to date, The American Revolution Revolution and The American __tier.The American Revolution Revolution features a layering of early American portraiture and social media jargon. Melding the political revolution of 18th century with the technological revolution of the 21st century, Huckins explores where the two meet. In the process of comparing time periods, Huckins also used The American Revolution Revolution to confront the priorities of a dumbed down society.Huckins’ work is not digitally generated nor are they Photoshopped. Huckins painted each piece by hand, including the lettering. He continues his onslaught of social media based satire with his follow up series, The American __tier. Again marrying the prestige of fine art with the casual grammatical uncouthness of social media, Huckins flaunts an individual brand of artistic humor - not mention a great amount of skill and technique.- Akeem K. Duncan, 'Quiet Lunch Magazine' Shawn Huckins is known for both his brilliant humor and technical skill as a painter. In his most notable series to date, ‘The American Revolution Revolution’ and ‘The American ___tier,’ Huckins satirizes social media, asking whether the devolution of language in the face of technological advancement weakens our ability to empathize and connect to one another in a meaningful way. By layering early American portraiture and landscape with text taken directly from the internet, Huckins confronts the priorities of our society in comparison to simpler times. What would George Washington post on Facebook? How would Lewis and Clark communicate their progress westward via Twitter?Huckins’ works are meticulously hand-painted, including the letters. The portraits, landscapes and pastoral scenes are sourced from public domain records and museum collections of classic American paintings.A New Hampshire native, Huckins now lives and works in Denver, Colorado. His work has been displayed in private and public collections across the country, including the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, MA and the Vicki Myhren Gallery at the University of Denver. Huckins has received grants from the Haven Foundation of Maine, Artists’ Fellowship Inc. of New York City, and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, among others. His work has been featured in notable publications such as Forbes, Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose Magazine, Huffington Post, New American Paintings, The Jealous Curator, and The Advocate. 5280 Magazine named Huckins as one of five artists to collect now in 2015. Huckins studied at Keene State College in New Hampshire and The University of Wollongong in Australia and received his BA in Studio Arts in 2006.