Shirley Cleary received her BFA degree from the Washington University in St. Louis and her MFA degree from Tyler School of Art of Temple University in Philadelphia and Rome, Italy. She also studied at the University of Valencia (Spain) and the Corcoran in Washington, D.C. Shirley has lived in Montana sincew 1971 and spends the Montana-winter painting and fishing in Gore, New Zealand. Her paintings have been featured in many publications and exhibitions including the International Miniature Exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute; the Treasure State Invitational Exhibition; the Women Artists of the West at the Tucson Museum of Art; the Maryland Waterfowl Festival; the Easton Academy of the Arts; and the CM Russell Auction in Great Falls. She is represented in galleries in the United States and New Zealand. Her work has been on several covers of Cabella's catalogue, and she is the only woman represented in a recent book: The Fine Art of Angling; Ten Modern Masters.