Kyla Shackelford was raised in Austin, TX where she took an early interest in art and began her studies. After high school, she immediately moved to Italy and spent 3 years learning classical drawing and painting at the Florence Academy of Art. From there, Ms. Shackelford moved to New York City to study at the renowned Art Student's League. It was there, during a summer session workshop, that she was introduced to the chiaroscuro methods of the Dutch Masters by contemporary master David A. Leffel. After New York, Shackelford moved to Taos, NM where she continues study with David Leffel and Michael Siegel. Her still-life paintings, portraits, and figure paintings have been collected throughout the country.