[5] At New York's Art Students League, he earned his tuition serving as a monitor in classes taught by Robert Brackman, Ivan Olinsky and Edwin Dickinson.

[3] The painting was first shown at Hirschl & Adler Gallery in New York City, April 24 to June 28, 1996, and now hangs in the Princess's ancestral home at Althorp.

In August 2004, the city of Sarzana, Italy hosted a one-man exhibition entitled 'Dal Maestro'/'From the Master', in a fifteenth-century fortress called Fortezza Firmafede.

[10] Known for his skill in capturing the complex nature of his subjects, Shanks' portraits have contributed to his reputation as one of the foremost contemporary figurative painters.

[3] Among his notable commissions are Diana, Princess of Wales, Pope John Paul II for the Vatican Museum, Margaret Thatcher, U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton for the National Portrait Gallery.

[3] Significant commissions also include Luciano Pavarotti for the Metropolitan Opera, Mstislav Rostropovich for the Kennedy Center, Denyce Graves for the National Portrait Gallery and the private collection at Althorp of Charles, Lord Spencer.

Other portraits include King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, J. Carter Brown, Katharine Graham, Judge Guido Calabresi, Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop, Robert Wood Johnson, Jr., James Burke, Marcus Wallenberg, Dr. Peter Wallenberg, Ms. Darla Moore, Mr. Lionel Pincus, Mr. Jerry Speyer, Chairman of the Board, Museum of Modern Art, Arthur O. Sulzberger Sr., Chairman of the Board, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chairman Emeritus New York Times, Mary McFadden, United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and many others.

[3] Whether the subject was still life, landscape or figurative, the work was meant to evoke emotion and challenge the viewer to make close examination.

"[13] Shanks' teaching philosophy emphasized the importance of gaining knowledge and training the student to "see" with the understanding that it takes years of concentration and practice to become a highly skilled painter.

[15] He established an apprentice program at his Bucks County home and studio, where artists received room, board and instruction at no cost.

[6] The need for students to immerse themselves deeply in his teaching principles was indicated by the high demand for and over-subscription to these workshops, which led to the decision to open a full-time atelier program in 2002, named Studio Incamminati, which can be translated from the Italian as "those who are progressing".