ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My paintings are an exploration of emotion, memory, and discovery. Working with oil and cold wax, I build layers of color, texture, and movement, allowing each piece to evolve through an intuitive and often unexpected process.
I rarely begin with a specific destination in mind. Instead, I follow the painting, responding to what emerges beneath each layer. There is a sense of freedom in this process, where something unexpected can become the beginning of something meaningful.
I hope viewers feel drawn into my paintings, almost as if a magnet is pulling them closer. I love the idea that someone might see something entirely different each time they look — a familiar place, a distant memory, a moment in time, or an emotion they cannot quite put into words. My connection to each painting is deeply personal, yet I believe the beauty of abstract art is that it leaves room for everyone to find their own connection. Sometimes the strongest feelings are the ones that are hardest to explain.
Artist’s Bio
Sharon C. Cook is an Oregon-based contemporary abstract artist working primarily in oil and cold wax on birch panels. Her paintings explore color, texture, movement, and the intuitive process of creating. Raised in a small farming community in Northern California, Sharon's creative journey took many paths before she fully embraced her life as an artist. After raising three daughters and a career as a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines, retirement in 2014 gave her the opportunity to devote herself more fully to painting.
Beginning with watercolor, collage, and acrylics, Sharon gradually discovered her passion for abstract expressionism. Today, she works primarily with oil and cold wax, building layers of color and texture through an intuitive process that allows each painting to evolve organically. Using palette knives, squeegees, and her hands, she explores the unexpected possibilities of her materials. Her work invites viewers to discover their own interpretations and emotional connections.
Sharon's paintings have been exhibited in galleries and art centers throughout Oregon and are included in private and public collections. She continues to explore, experiment, and develop her artistic voice from her studio in Salem, Oregon.
In Conversation with Arts Alive, An interview with Claudia Herber
Watch my Arts Alive interview on YouTube
Sharon C. Cook
b. 1945, Woodland, CA
Lives in Salem, OR
sharonccookartist.com
Education
1963-1965 Stephens College
1966-1967 University of Utah
Solo Exhibitions
2026 Oil Media Exhibition - Oregon Art Center, Portland, Oregon
2026 Abstract Still Life - Bush Barn Art Center, Salem, Oregon
2023 Currents Gallery, McMinnville, OR
2022 Currents Gallery, McMinnville, OR
2021 Currents Gallery, McMinnville, OR
2020 Currents Gallery, McMinnville, OR
Group Exhibitions
2026, Oregon Art Center, Portland, Oregon
2026, Bush Barn Art Center, Salem, Oregon
2025 Currents Gallery, McMinnville, OR
2024 Bush Barn Art Center Gallery, Salem, OR
2023 Chessman Gallery, Lincoln City, OR
2022 Chessman Gallery, Lincoln City, OR
2021 Chessman Gallery, Lincoln City, OR
2019 Artist Studio Association, Lincoln City, OR
2018 Yaquina Art Gallery, Newport, OR
Permanent Collection
2020 Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, Newport, OR
Residency
2024 Bush Barn Art Center, Salem, OR
Publications
2024 Featured Artist in May edition of Willamette Living Magazine
2025 Cover of The Willamette Valley Guide to the Arts
Awards
2018 Artist in Action
2017 Artist Studio Association
2016 Artist Studio Association