Shannon Abbey is best known for her paintings combining representation and abstraction representing bird life and landscape. Abbey has exhibited throughout the San Francisco and her commissions are part of private collections across the US and overseas.

Born in the Pacific Northwest, Abbey attended the Academy of Art University and Western Washington University receiving a BFA and a BA respectively. She was on the faculty of the Academy of Art University, and of California College of Arts in San Francisco, led workshops at the Palo Alto Cultural Center.