Guest Speaker: Day Shields “From Attorney to Artist: A Creative Second Act” Wednesday, June 10, 2026
The Kiwanis Club of Wilton is pleased to welcome longtime member and fellow Kiwanian Day Shields as our featured guest speaker on Wednesday, June 10.
Many in our community know Day for his years of service as an attorney, but fewer may realize that he has also developed a remarkable second career as an accomplished artist. After spending much of his professional life practicing law, Day turned his focus toward painting, creating vibrant landscapes and park scenes inspired by the natural beauty and historic character of Connecticut.
A recognized member of the Weir Farm Artist Collective, Day regularly exhibits alongside fellow artists whose work celebrates the artistic legacy of Weir Farm National Historical Park. His paintings have been featured in exhibitions throughout Fairfield County, including shows at Wilton Library, and he has participated in community art programs and competitions associated with Weir Farm.
During this special presentation, Day will share his artistic journey, discuss the inspiration behind his work, and offer insights into how creativity and observation continue to shape his life and perspective.
Members and guests are encouraged to attend what promises to be an engaging and inspiring program featuring one of our own.
Lunch begins at 12:15 PM, followed by Day’s presentation and discussion.
Event Details: 📅 Wednesday, June 10, 2026 🕛 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM 📍 WEPCO Parish Hall 48 New Canaan Road, Wilton, CT
VIVIONS SHOW – AAPL AT THE CARRIAGE BARN ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHY DAY R. SHIELDS Email: [email protected] Telephone: (203) 451-0724
Day Shields has spent most of his life as an attorney, drawing Wills and Trust Agreements rather than painting pictures. Although born and raised in Cleveland, he attended college and then law school in Connecticut and never returned to Ohio. Day lived in New York City for several years after graduation before he and his wife, Elaine, moved to Wilton, Connecticut, where they still reside. Due to the demands of his legal career, Day never went to art school nor had any formal art training prior to retirement: any artistic endeavors during this time were self-taught. However, after he decided to quit practicing law in 2008, Day began taking weekly courses at the Silvermine School of Art and continues those classes to this day.
Day works exclusively in pastels, the medium he first taught himself back in his college days. The inspiration for nearly all his work is his own personal experience, usually based on photographs he has taken. Most of his pastels depict three favorite locations: here in southern Connecticut, particularly while out fishing or at Weir Farm NHS; the “out island” of Eleuthera in the Bahamas; or on photographic safaris in Kenya and Tanzania. For several years Day’s principal focus has been creating a series of African wildlife pastels, inspired by a 3-week photographic safari he and Elaine enjoyed in Tanzania during November of 2021. The submitted entry, depicting a mother and calf that had just crossed the Mara River with around 20 other elephants, is part of that series.
Having started his artistic career so late in life, Day’s resume is rather limited: it is only in the past 10 years that he felt ready to show his work locally and actively participate in various art associations. To date, his memberships include the Greenwich Arts Council, New Canaan Society for the Arts (Carriage Barn), New Rochelle Art Association, and Weir Farm Artists Collective.
In addition to the 2 Carriage Barn, Day’s pastels have been exhibited at the Wilton Library, Fairfield Library, Greenwich Arts Council, Westport Downtown Association, Silvermine Art Center and Weir Farm NHS. However, Day has refined his techniques and expanded his portfolio in the past few years, in hopes of expanding his outreach to a more national level and creating a website to feature his work.
Last Updated: June 24, 2026 by saulwgoldberg
Meeting/Lunch at WEPCO – June 10, 2026
Meeting/Lunch at WEPCO
Guest Speaker: Day Shields
“From Attorney to Artist: A Creative Second Act”
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
The Kiwanis Club of Wilton is pleased to welcome longtime member and fellow Kiwanian Day Shields as our featured guest speaker on Wednesday, June 10.
Many in our community know Day for his years of service as an attorney, but fewer may realize that he has also developed a remarkable second career as an accomplished artist. After spending much of his professional life practicing law, Day turned his focus toward painting, creating vibrant landscapes and park scenes inspired by the natural beauty and historic character of Connecticut.
A recognized member of the Weir Farm Artist Collective, Day regularly exhibits alongside fellow artists whose work celebrates the artistic legacy of Weir Farm National Historical Park. His paintings have been featured in exhibitions throughout Fairfield County, including shows at Wilton Library, and he has participated in community art programs and competitions associated with Weir Farm.
During this special presentation, Day will share his artistic journey, discuss the inspiration behind his work, and offer insights into how creativity and observation continue to shape his life and perspective.
Members and guests are encouraged to attend what promises to be an engaging and inspiring program featuring one of our own.
Lunch begins at 12:15 PM, followed by Day’s presentation and discussion.
Event Details:
📅 Wednesday, June 10, 2026
🕛 12:15 PM – 1:30 PM
📍 WEPCO Parish Hall
48 New Canaan Road, Wilton, CT
Agenda:
• 12:15 PM – Meeting Begins
• 12:30 PM – Lunch Served
• 1:00 – 1:30 PM – Presentation
Guests are always welcome to attend.
FULL EVENT IMAGES
About Day Shields
VIVIONS SHOW – AAPL AT THE CARRIAGE BARN
ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHY
DAY R. SHIELDS
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: (203) 451-0724
Day Shields has spent most of his life as an attorney, drawing Wills and
Trust Agreements rather than painting pictures. Although born and raised in
Cleveland, he attended college and then law school in Connecticut and never
returned to Ohio. Day lived in New York City for several years after graduation
before he and his wife, Elaine, moved to Wilton, Connecticut, where they still
reside. Due to the demands of his legal career, Day never went to art school nor
had any formal art training prior to retirement: any artistic endeavors during this
time were self-taught. However, after he decided to quit practicing law in 2008,
Day began taking weekly courses at the Silvermine School of Art and continues those classes to this day.
Day works exclusively in pastels, the medium he first taught himself back in
his college days. The inspiration for nearly all his work is his own personal
experience, usually based on photographs he has taken. Most of his pastels
depict three favorite locations: here in southern Connecticut, particularly while
out fishing or at Weir Farm NHS; the “out island” of Eleuthera in the Bahamas; or
on photographic safaris in Kenya and Tanzania. For several years Day’s principal
focus has been creating a series of African wildlife pastels, inspired by a 3-week
photographic safari he and Elaine enjoyed in Tanzania during November of 2021.
The submitted entry, depicting a mother and calf that had just crossed the Mara
River with around 20 other elephants, is part of that series.
Having started his artistic career so late in life, Day’s resume is rather limited: it
is only in the past 10 years that he felt ready to show his work locally and actively
participate in various art associations. To date, his memberships include the
Greenwich Arts Council, New Canaan Society for the Arts (Carriage Barn), New
Rochelle Art Association, and Weir Farm Artists Collective.
In addition to the 2 Carriage Barn, Day’s pastels have been exhibited at the Wilton Library, Fairfield Library, Greenwich Arts Council, Westport Downtown Association, Silvermine Art Center and Weir Farm NHS. However, Day has refined his techniques and expanded his portfolio in the past few years, in hopes of expanding his outreach
to a more national level and creating a website to feature his work.
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