About Sally Shelton Nooney

Sally Shelton Nooney is an accomplished artist whose work is shaped by a lifelong love of nature, wildlife, and the living world around her. Raised in the South Carolina low country, she grew up fishing, hunting, and walking marshes and pine forests where the quiet rhythms of the land became part of how she sees and thinks. That sense of place — attentive, unhurried, curious — runs through every canvas she touches.

Roots in the Low Country

Growing up near Charleston, South Carolina, Sally absorbed not only the wild beauty of the coastal landscape but also the history, architecture, and artisan traditions of one of America's oldest cities. These twin influences — nature's immediacy and culture's depth — gave her work a richness that goes beyond simple representation. She wasn't just painting what she saw; she was painting what she felt about what she saw.

A Move to the Mountains

In 1987, Sally and her husband Frank relocated to the North Carolina mountains, settling in the High Country near Banner Elk. The Appalachian landscape — its dramatic ridgelines, seasonal color shifts, and wildlife — opened new horizons for her art. She began devoting more of her time to fine art in 1996, and in 2001 she took the decisive step of opening her own gallery and school.

Technique and Approach

Sally works primarily in oils, but she moves fluidly between watercolor and acrylic, believing each medium has its own conversation with the viewer. Her technique draws on the sound practices of the Old Masters while incorporating the experimental faux finishes she developed during years as a decorative artist. The result is a style that is loose, free, and flowing — technically grounded but emotionally open.

She has painted on canvas, furniture, floor cloths, murals, and glass. In 2012, she added kiln-formed fused glass to her practice, drawn by the medium's unique relationship with light and color.

According to the tradition of American landscape painting, artists who work from direct observation develop a singular connection to their subject — and Sally's mountain paintings embody that tradition fully.

Recognition

Sally's paintings have won awards including the People's Choice Award for her painting Oops! Wrong Tree. Her work has appeared on the covers of All About Women, High Country Living, and Carolina Mountain Life. She has created custom commissions for private collectors, interior designers, and corporate clients including restaurants, inns, and offices.

The Artist's Philosophy

"When I create, I relax, smile, dream, become inspired. My hope is to convey these things to the viewer."

For Sally, painting is not separate from living — it is a way of attending to life. Every canvas is an invitation to slow down, look closely, and feel the world rather than simply move through it. That invitation is extended to every viewer who encounters her work.