About

Artist Statement for Sharon J. Burton

The use of collage is my inquiry into the mysteries of life on Earth. As a mixed media and collage artist, I am curious about the similarities and differences of human and nature, especially how nature serves as an analogy to human experience. I use a variety of mediums to convey the feeling and emotion of my subjects, to reflect the movement of their lives and the strength of their inner resolve. Using a variety of papers, words, shapes, photographs, and paint, I create and juxtapose images to emit the personality of the subject invite the view to actually construct the story using the media as clues. Many viewers are delighted to see themselves within the images that they view in the artwork.

About Me

I have been an artist all of my life...but just started creating and showing my work in 2007. I have been active in the Washington, DC fine art community since 2005 when I started curating a variety of art exhibitions at local galleries and art spaces across town under the name of Authentic Contemporary Art and blogging about the art world in the DC area that year which became quite popular.

Since then, I have taken studio art classes from The Torpedo Factory (Arlington, Virginia), Montpelier Arts Center (Laurel, Maryland), Maryland Institute College of Art (Baltimore, Maryland) and Harmony Hall Regional Arts Center (Fort Washington, Maryland).

I have completed my requirements for the professional certificate in Art Business from New York University as of 2013. I have also worked as an art advisor, focusing on growing the art collections of professional women under the name of The Artinista Art Advisory beginning in 2011.

My artwork has been shown in juried exhibitions, galleries and alternative art spaces in the following cities: New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Columbia, Maryland, Silver Spring, Maryland, Washington, DC, Lofton, Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia. Her work can be found in private collections in Atlanta, Washington, DC and other places across the country.

I have served on the Boards of The Millennium Arts Salon and Empowered Women International in the DC area. I am currently a Board member for Project Create the Community Advisory Committee/Ambassadors for the David C. Driskell Center, and Advisory Committee of Personal Visions Gallery.

What I Believe In

I have a strong interest in the human condition and currently focus on advocacy for children, youth and women who have experienced trauma and feel that creative activities such as art is a way of healing. I volunteer and contribute my art for a variety of causes focusing on empowering women and families that are socially or economically disadvantaged.

What I Love

-I am a sucker for Classic Rock and you can find it playing in my studio or car.

-Yoga and spending time in nature are two of my favorite way to relax and restore myself.

-The butterfly is my personal symbol that I feel represents my personal and professional goals.

-I can almost live on good coffee and jasmine tea alone.

-I am a wannabe wine connoisseur and have a current obsession with mala beads as well as the smell of jasmine and lavendar in candles and incense.

-Artist Dates helps unlock my creativity when I feel blocked.

-My favorite place to escape to is St. Simons Island, Georgia.

Who Inspires Me

Artists such as Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Bettye Saar, Lorna Simpson, and Renee Stout, inspire me as an artist.

Currently whatever Brene Brown, Valorie Burton, Faith Hunter,Danielle LaPorte, Sophia Nelson, and Kimberly Wilson write, blog, podcast, etc. underscore my personal philosophy on life and how I show up in it.

Where You Can Find Me

I have a home studio practice in suburban Maryland, outside of Washington, DC.