Shirley Trevena was born in Brixton, London, and now lives in Shoreham by Sea. She has had no formal art education.

 Her paintings are exhibited each year at the Mall Galleries, London and at the Sussex Watercolour Society’s exhibitions, for which she was President for 2015-2016. In 2010 she exhibited as a special guest at the 7^th International Watercolour Festival in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2011 she exhibited as one of 5 international watercolour artists at the St Cyr sur Mer Biennale in the south of France. In 2014, as a finalist, her work was exhibited at the World Watercolour