Artist’s Bio

For Sharon, painting at its best comes close to the root meaning of the word “ecstasy”: to stand outside of or transcend oneself. She no longer feels that she is the one “creating” the painting, but the painting is “emerging” from the cradled birch panels on which she works, almost making itself. It’s an experience akin to what writers describe when their characters become so real, they take on a life of their own, decide what they are going to say and do.

During these moments of intense creativity, only the painting and the artist exist—all else fades into the background. Sharon coaxes the images to appear and evolve on the panels, using palette knives, squeegees, even hands to summon them. Oil and cold wax are the perfect medium, allowing Sharon the freedom to use her intuition with layers of color and texture and shape providing the matrix for each piece.

Sharon was raised in a small farming community in northern California, far from the world of art. But she will never forget finger painting in kindergarten and how natural it felt. She knew she was meant to be an artist. Retiring from her position with Alaska Airlines in 2014 gave her the opportunity to pursue her dream of painting every day. Her artist’s journey has included working with water colors, acrylics, and collage. She is most at home now conjuring up striking works of abstract expressionism in oil and cold wax.