Shawn Bridges received her formal art training from Baylor University earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1968. However she began her art education much earlier at her Grandmother’s knee in San Antonio. Shawn came to Cuchara in 1985 with their two children, Annella and Mark, both of whom graduated from La Veta High School. Shawn and her husband Gary owned and operated businesses in the ski area. Joe Cordova and Ernie Fognani provided Shawn with friendship, employment and gallery space for all those years.

Dr. Gary Bridges is now a Senior Lecturer at The University of Texas in San Antonio. He has written four novels, all of which take place in and around La Veta and Cuchara. Shawn illustrated and provided the cover art for all of them. Annella and Mark have married and given them three grandchildren who love to visit their home in Cuchara.

Shawn’s work spans a wide spectrum including portraits, landscapes, still life, wildlife, and book illustrations. One of her most recognized paintings is a 4′x6′ memorial of 9/11 that hangs in the Pentagon. It depicts God’s Hands enveloping the rescuers and victims. A more recent work is a 10,000 sq. foot mural in the Children’s Building of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio. Shawn’s paintings and murals can be seen at shawnbridges.com