|
|
Sharon's Bio
I have dabbled in various creative arts since I was a child. Artistic tendancies seem to be a family trait. In 1979 I started taking tole & decorative painting classes from my cousin, Gayle. I soon lost interested in other creative endeavors and fell in love with painting. It offers such a wide variety of styles and applications and is very relaxing and fulfilling. I took many classes from various artists, studied the instructional books available, and proceeded to paint everything in sight. When my house overflowed with painted pieces and family and friends were saturated, I started selling my finished pieces at local art fairs.
In 1986, after teaching some classes at Gayle's decorative arts studio and store, I began to create some of my own designs as pattern packets, selling them at the Heart of Ohio Tole show in Columbus, Ohio, through various vendors around the country, and by mail order. I have since created hundreds of designs which have been published in pattern packets, 9 books, and various magazines to help others create their own hand painted family keepsakes and heirlooms. It is so wonderful to have people contact me to tell me how much they enjoy my designs and to know I've had a positive impact on people's lives.
After a few attempts and much hard work, I passed the Certified Decorative Artist program with the Society of Decorative Painters in 1989 at the Washington, DC convention. Here's a photo my passing certification board:
If you would like to learn more about the Society of Decorative Painters, visit their website at:
In 1992, Gayle and I started work on publishing my first book, "Snicker Doodles", and our publishing company, Sharon & Gayle Publications, Inc., was born. Through 2004, we published for over 70 different artists.
At the end of 2004, we made the decision to stop publishing for other designer artists and spend more time pursuing our own personal development as individual artists.
In 2007, I bought out Gayle's half of the business, and changed the name of the company to The Decorative Painting Store, and developed one of my other websites:
www.DecorativePaintingStore.com
which specializes in bringing clearance-priced books to decorative painters around the world, as well as art supplies such as brushes, stencils, and other fun stuff.
I also enjoy web design and have been working with other artists to set up their internet presence. Visit my site:
www.ArtWorkWebs.com
As you can see, I like to stay busy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
