Shirley Pittman attended the Art Institute of Chicago and Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. When she was sixteen, she won 3rd prize in a competition in California that was juried by Salvador Dali.

Shirley studied with Rex Brandt, Milford Zornes, Dong Kingman, Carolyn Lord, Dan Burt, Roger Armstrong, Frank Webb, and Don O'Neil.

Since moving to Cambria, Shirley has painted in the SLO Plein Air Festival several times. She has also participated in the Carmel Festival, painted instruments in the Mozart Festivals, and won Best of Show in the Aquarius watercolor exhibit two years in a row. She has been awarded 1st place in oil in an OPAG showing and recently won 2nd in the Color of Autumn show.

Shirley has been in numerous solo and group exhibits in California. She is a juried member of Watercolor West, Central Coast Watercolor Society, San Luis Outdoor Painting Enterprise, San Luis Obispo Art Center, and she has painted with the "Wednesday Irregulars" for over ten years.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she moved to Redondo Beach as a teen, later marrying her loving husband and mentor, Carl. She then raised a family, attended college at Cal State Long Beach and worked as an artist for 26 years in educational TV.

Shirley is a prolific painter, selling to pleased collectors her exquisite watercolors, boldly designed acrylics and oils of beautiful landscapes of the Central Coast.