Sharon McGinnis - Watercolor and Textile Artist

My paintings often require you to fill in the blanks with your own story, to look closely and discover something new. Perhaps they only cause you to reflect for a moment on the comical antics of ravens. If you stop and look, I've accomplished something. Technically speaking, I prefer understatement and well-designed white spaces in watercolors. Areas of contrast and images that convey a sense of place are especially important. Even as I experiment with expanding traditional watercolor using gesso, collage and fused fiber, these elements of visual design remain a reliable guide. Ultimately the finished mixed media pieces become altered watercolors with images inspired by the written word and the natural world.

Since high school in Portland, Oregon, watercolors captured my imagination because of their ethereal quality. In Phoenix I received instruction from artists gifted as painters and teachers, Lilly Ham and Dick Phillips. Additional workshops as well as teaching painting in Flagstaff continue to challenge and inspire me to explore the creative process.