A Creative Light Gone Too Soon: Remembering Shane’s Spark”

There are people whose presence changes the rhythm of a room — whose laughter, curiosity, and brilliance make everything seem possible. Shane was one of those rare souls. To know him was to witness the magic of someone who never stopped learning, questioning, or caring. His passing leaves behind an ache that words can only begin to touch, but his influence — in art, design, and the countless lives he inspired — will echo forever.

I first met Shane when I was just twelve years old. My father worked alongside him for decades, and their professional connection often felt more like a friendship built on creativity and joy. To watch them together was to see work transformed into play, ideas into beauty, and dreams into structure. Without realizing it, I was growing up surrounded by the kind of minds that quietly shaped the future of architecture and landscape design — and Shane was always at the center of it.

He never looked down at me as a child. Instead, he looked into me — with those sparkling, kind eyes — and asked real questions, as if what I thought truly mattered. It wasn’t about impressing him; it was about being fully present, because that’s what he brought out in everyone around him.

“A Lifelong Connection: From Inspiration to Friendship”

As the years passed, my connection to Shane deepened. He became a mentor, a friend, and, in many ways, part of my extended creative family. My husband eventually worked with him, too, and even in that new relationship, Shane’s spirit of collaboration and curiosity never dimmed.

When I transitioned into my fine art practice, Shane’s support only grew stronger. He celebrated every new piece, every new idea, as though it were his own victory. He understood the language of art — its struggles, its silence, its breakthroughs — perhaps because of his own roots and his father’s influence in the art world.

Our last conversation still echoes in my mind, a final gift from a friend who always knew how to guide gently, without ever pushing:

“It’s all happening — let it flow and celebrate, and know this is an invitation to go deeper into who you are.”

Those words weren’t just comfort; they were wisdom. They’re the kind of truth you carry for a lifetime.

“The Loss of a Creative Uncle: Carrying the Light Forward”

This year has brought too many losses — first Jim Brandenburg, and now Shane. It feels like losing another creative uncle, a mentor whose spirit shaped not just ideas, but hearts. The creative world feels quieter without him, as if a melody has lost one of its most beautiful notes.

Shane wasn’t just a designer. He was a bridge — between generations, disciplines, and souls. He believed that art and architecture were not just about what we build, but how we live, how we see, and how we connect.