Artist brings personal ‘ism’ to library

Shaun Daley developed his vision

while working at area galleries
By:Sally Goldenberg
   Lifelong Hillsborough resident Shaun Daley has meshed his various artistic influences to establish his own style of art, which he coined "Shaunism." Displays of "Shaunism" art can be viewed this month in the Hillsborough Public Library.
   Using oil and pastel color pencils to fill in his sketches, Mr. Daley draws about that which inspires him — admittedly a category of versatile inclusion. "A lot of the inspirations are just things that are in my daily life," said the 33-year-old. "If I’ve had a good day, certain images will appear on the paper. If I’ve had a bad day, certain images will appear on the paper."
   Mr. Daley, a Princeton native who attended public grade schools in Hillsborough and Immaculata High School in Somerville, said his interest in art spawned from an early impulse to draw.
   According to his Web site, www.shaunism.com, "His mother, Sharon, always had to have a supply of crayons and paper available for Shaun to satisfy his creative urges."
   Having won a schoolwide contest at the age of 9 for drawing Pinocchio and a $2 bill at the age of 11 for depicting the Triangle School’s mascot, a tiger, Mr. Daley said he has always flirted with pencil and paper (He plans to move on to the world of canvas, soon).
   In order to provide local residents with a look into his artistic side, which they may not have discovered when dealing with him through his employment at Re/Max Realty, he decided to exhibit his artwork in the library.
   "I’m a lifelong Hillsborough resident and I’ve seen in the past that other artists have displayed their work there," he said. "I thought the Hillsborough library would be a good avenue for people locally at least to see my work."
   Mr. Daley, a graduate of Raritan Valley Community College in business management, garnered his early working experience in his home town at 15, when he worked in Dennis Art Gallery and Frame Shop in Hillsborough, now out of business. Once he learned about art preservation and framing, Mr. Daley landed jobs in Short Hills and Greenwich Village art galleries.
   Once surrounded by professional art, Mr. Daley found influences for his own work in Pablo Picasso, Friedensreich Hundertwasser and Dorothea Tanning. He called the library display "Picasso meets Peter Max meets Paul Klee."
   He said he gradually overcame his lack of confidence and sold some of his artwork while working in Greenwich Village.
   "I was skeptical of showing anybody my work because I didn’t know what their reaction was going to be," he said.
   Though he moved from art galleries to a real estate office, Mr. Daley said he continued to work on art more seriously in 1995 and, according to his Web site, favored surrealism.
   Mr. Daley, who worked on his present exhibit from 2000 to 2002, said he does not name any of his pieces. He explained: "I do not want anyone to have a preconceived notion about the piece or what was on my mind at the time of conception."