Anita Mallene Shelton’s formal art training concluded with a Commercial Art degree from East Tennessee State University back in 1989, however, her “real life” art education began at age five, when she fell in love with drawing and has continued throughout her life to the present.  This passion for creating strongly influenced her formative and young adult years through self-study and work in a broad variety of media and craft, including oil painting, Indian beadwork and many others.

Professionally, Mallene spent 10 years for a company involved in commercial screen-printing and four years as a U.S. Government contract designer of systems used in the building of America’s nuclear aircraft carriers.  While she has enjoyed quite a varied and creative career, nothing thus far has equaled the level of creative satisfaction she has received from designing and making intricate pine needle baskets.  Her work is presently on display and available for purchase at the Tanasi Gallery in Unicoi, Tennessee.