Tennessean Newspaper Article

Many thanks to Jessica Bliss and The Tennessean for the recent article written about my career and work. You can read the full article here, but below is a brief excerpt:

The first time artist Michael Shane Neal walked into the U.S. Supreme Court building, he felt frenzied and a bit flustered.

He was there to photograph Justice Sandra Day O'Connor for a portrait painting.

It had taken great effort to get on her schedule, and her assistant had been very clear — he had one hour. Nothing more.

He set up his lights in the wrong room and 20 minutes later was rushed to another, the tension mounting.

But the moment O'Connor walked in, the anxiety melted away. She was taller than he expected and twice as kind. She grabbed his hand in both of hers and greeted him warmly, asking about his family as she posed for the camera.