Tessa Shackelford was born and raised in the mountains of West Virginia. Fancying herself a future high school art teacher, Tessa first attended Fairmont State University in the pursuit of a teaching degree. She then transferred to West Virginia University. In 2009, she received a BFA in studio art with an emphasis in printmaking, along with a BA in art history. That fall, Tessa began her MFA at Northern Illinois University to hone her printmaking skills. She completed her MFA in 2012 and now bakes loads of printed Shrinky-Dinks or embroiders the heck out of a relief print. Tessa can be found making Jell-o desserts to unload upon her unsuspecting students and colleagues.