Sharon Daugherty
Sharon Daugherty is a Philadelphia born, Atlanta based painter and sketch artist. The self-taught artist uses abstract expressionism to examine and honor human experience and how we interact with our environments. Her subjects range from abstract portraits and human figures to urban and natural landscapes. She is a lover of color who loves highly expressive and textural work, using acrylic, gouache, ink, charcoal, and other materials on a variety of surfaces. Her work is highly intuitive, reacting to what the canvas gives her as she works.
Sharon’s work is collected by people across the country. As she finds painting a highly therapeutic medium for herself, she also works with students to help them discover the power of creative expression. Sharon is part of a family of creatives – a husband who is a writer and musician, and two daughters, one a sculptor, and one a singer songwriter. She works out of her home studio where her family gives her constant energy, inspiration, and support. www.sharondwriter.com
“I am a self-taught sketch artist and painter from Philadelphia. Painting for me is an exploration of human experience and feminine energy. My work is an ongoing study of the places and things we connect with. My paintings explore the special energy of city neighborhoods – the sights, sounds, and textures I experienced growing up. There is beauty in the world that we don’t often see at first glance – collages on the wall of a building created by years of life, love, joy, and pain. I look for ways to show that beauty through my work. I am drawn to bold, vibrant colors that exude life and joy, but there are moments when the subject calls for me to create a quiet, monochromatic piece. My mediums of choice are acrylic, oil paste, ink, and charcoal.
I work quickly because I work intuitively. I like short, painterly brush strokes that allow me to step back and see my process in the layers and textures of my canvas. I never paint without music – I love jazz, neo soul and afro beats. My work is like scatting – improvisational sessions where I move with the notes and paint what I feel without pre-planning. There is something powerful about following my instincts and the rhythm and seeing where I will go. What emerges comes from the deepest part of me.
I love to explore the city and find my inspiration from people watching and studying architecture. I paint in my home studio in Georgia where I live with my husband and two daughters who feed my spirit every day.”