Consciousness - 40x40 Acrylic and Oil on Wood Panel
Sharon Grimes - Consciousness
The thoughts and awarenesses that I have while working are always interesting to me.
Sometimes the act of painting reaches deep into my soul and prompts me to think of things
that I wouldn't normally give a lot of thought.
As I worked on this piece I started to feel enveloped and warmed by it. I used the lines
to indicate different levels of awareness, building up to a crescendo of light. When I
started to become conscious of the light, I wondered if the awarenesses that I develop
are limited to humans or if the earth itself is aware, in much the same way that we are.
Ascending Darkness
Sharon Grimes - Contemporary Abstract Artist
COLORS OF THE COSMOS
Sharon Grimes shares the landscape of the Universe through canvas
It starts with a simple stroke. Across a clean surface, in the margins of the journal, on a scrap of
loose paper. Strokes turns into shapes, shapes into objects, and so on. One drifts into a
melodious dance of brush to canvas until suddenly, magically, all these little objects have
translated into a masterpiece. The evolution of rendering a single piece of inspiration into a real
work of art is delicate, intimate and often unpredictable.
This was the case the first time Sharon Grimes ever took pencil to paper and created art. A
hairdresser by trade, Grimes turned to sketching as a means of expression during a mid-career
burn-out. She fell in love with entire craft. Sketching expanded to watercolor painting, which
ultimately led Grimes to acrylic painting, a medium that infuses much of her work today.
What quickly followed was an emotional awakening that prompted Grimes to pursue full-time
life immersed in the art of painting. Today, the self-taught contemporary abstract artist finds
that painting brings a vibrant and expressive texture to life—the kind that warms the soul with
passion and vigor.
Dreamscape With Black Rose
40X60
Just as anything beautiful must begin with a flicker of inspiration, Grimes draws intrigue from
the universe and it's infinitely intricate complexions of color, texture and light; the gentle
gradient of color that lazily washes over the sky at sunset, the way of gleam of light settles on a
leaf and sparkles like a diamond. "I watch the way that the sun peeks from behind a cloud at
the instant before it moves into my vision," says Grimes. Her paintings, like the cosmos, are
complicated, graceful, and thought-provoking.
Next comes a selection of color from every bend of the spectrum, until an array of curated hues
is artfully dolloped onto a palette – even the process of choosing paint is an art in itself for
Grimes. With a palette knife, colors are swirled and spread and mixed until the composition
starts to evolve. There, she crafts the vert beginnings of what will later become her newest
work of art. Every next step is a guessing game, as her intuition guides her across the canvas. "I
am sometimes sure of the composition when I start," says Grimes, "but it's likely to change
along the way, so I remain open to my instincts and to the process."
Like any truly inspired soul, Grimes reflects upon her finished works with a sweet, sentimental
attachment, but never allows her feelings for one painting to affect her progress on the next;
the completion of one does not hinder the creation of another, nor does it stop her from
painting over a freshly finished piece if she feels so inclined. And, she wont stop building –
adding and subtracting — until her vision becomes reality.
Floral Abstraction
"Art is very much about problem solving," says Grimes. "Every painting goes through a
problematic phase. Finishing a piece builds confidence that you can work through even the
most painful of issues, and you feel competent for a few moments. It mirrors life that way." Like
the fiery passion of the sun and the calculated calamity of the moon, Grimes finds a way to
express emotion and logic in her art.
For Grimes, practicing her craft is the only time she feels entirely secure in the present
moment. This is what she strives for viewers to experience when they observe her art – a split
second in which time seemingly stands still, and one is entirely immersed in the essence of the
painting. Grimes doesn't ever plan on letting go of that intoxicating feeling. "I don's ever intend
to stop painting as long as I's physically able," the artist says. "Even then, Ill probably be
creating art in my head."
DESIGN | FINE ART
By Joanne Xu
Please visit Sharon's' website for details:
WEBSITE
