Who Are You - Sharon Driscoll?

Lately I’ve been spreading out my little artistic wings again. For the longest time they’ve been moth balled. It’s not like I was completely flightless – more like I’ve been a little penguin like and swimming more than flying. Maybe even sometimes feeling like I needed a set of water wings to keep afloat

You’ll note that January was full of posts to this blog. It’s been quite noisy and I’ve been very talkative. It’s part of that “unfurling of wings”. Not every month will be this full of posts. I’ve been working on sewing up the tatters in my wings and getting my mojo in order. It’s been a long time coming and hasn’t arrived yet – but I’m thinking maybe I can voodoo some up sooner or later. You know, one foot in front of the other.


It kind of begs the question – “Uh…Sharon, who are you? Why the big wander around in so many media? What is all of that about? We’ve always known you as a lampworker and jeweler. I mean WTF – you’re talking about a lot of different stuff lately and working in clay too. Where did all this come from?”

I thought it might be good to answer that and give you a bit of my background.


This is a tiny glimpse into some of the things I have done over the years. Actually, I didn’t feel like digging out the watercolors or the oil paints and more - but what I had handy leaning against the basement wall might help to answer why I feel I talk so can so freely about different media and color theory (I was going to show you my tone charts but the photo didn't turn out).


What are interspersed in this post are examples of my work over the years. Painted, inked, printed, and drawn, and so on. As I’ve stated in my bio – I LOVE art. I have painted in three media: Acrylic, Oil, and Watercolor. Of those oil and watercolor are my favorite. Printmaking can trip my trigger in a major way; and of that, lithography has always brought me particular joy. There is something about grinding down that stone and then drawing on it that is fascinating. Pulling the first print is magic. Serigraph is fun too and for 27 years I designed simple silk screening for my husband’s toys. I have about 30 readily scrubbed screens to attest to experience on that front.


I’ve competed, I’ve juried, I’ve done art fairs, and I’ve immersed myself up to my pretty little eyeballs. I’ve played & tested – sought out great instructors – driven to many a state and many a college. If someone had a great reputation as an instructor of something I wanted to learn I took a class – or semester – or year. And then I practiced, practiced, practiced! I have stacks of work and portfolios full of artwork.

No, I don’t qualify as the perpetual student – although I’ll admit to unbridled happiness at stuffing any new artistic information in my brain. And I hope to be cramming in more at this year at the Bead &Button Show.