Sharon France
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Why do I paint the country?
I have been blessed to live and paint on a quite old farmstead, surrounded by fields, for most of my life now. It all began when I was a kid growing up. The trips to my grandparents remote Midwestern farm, are some of my favorite childhood memories, and from as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to live in the country like them. My husband grew up on a farm, and after we married our goal was to move to out of town. Soon we did, and we have never regretted that decision. We live in old farmhouse with a red barn, which are a great inspiration for what I paint. It gives me a sense of peace to work on my quiet, country, landscape paintings. I hope that you may find a quiet peace in them also.
My contemporary country landscapes are of the old farms, barns, & farmhouses that I love to paint. The ideas for my paintings come from my imagination, and are often of memories, and places that I have been and seen, here in the Midwestern Heartland.
My original art has been described ashaving an intriguing peacefulness, in its quiet simplicity. I hope that you will enjoy viewing my art.
Sharon France
Even as a child, Sharon knew that she wanted to grow up to be an artist some day. Her painting style leans towards Realism, although she often use elements of Tonalism and Minimalism in them. She has been inspired by the Hudson River School Artists, Minimalists, Tonalists, and Realist artists for heroriginal art. Sharon paints in acrylic, oil and soft pastel, although she most often works in acrylic on stretched canvas for her Heartland landscapes. She paints in a process that builds up many layers, using both wet and dry brush techniques, for her paintings. Sharon's art has been described as having an intriguing peacefulness, in its quiet simplicity.
Sharon received a Bachelors of Fine Art Degree from Northern Illinois University. Her paintings are in numerous private collections throughout the United States, as well as in: Canada, France, Iceland, Portugal, Belgium, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Zimbabwe, and Australia.
One of Sharon’s paintings hung in the American Embassy in Sri Lanka for two years as part of the U.S.A., Art in Embassies program. Two of her paintings were selected to hang in the "THIS OLD HOUSE" Magazine's Show House "Cloudland Cottage". Sharon's paintings have been used for cover art on several books including: Praying with your Whole Heart, Three Ways of Loving God, a heritage cook book "Family Favorites by Cinagro Farm," and on a classical music CD "Wingra Plays Dvorak". Sharon’s artwork was also licensed to use as the cover art of “Love for the Land”, published by Yale University Press. An article on her original landscape paintings was featured on the online art magazine “Empty Easel”.
Sharon has always had a fascination with old farmsteads, especially the old farmhouses and barns found on them. Some of her fondest childhood memories and inspiration come from the visits to her grandparent's remote Midwestern farm. It was set down a very long lane, that eventually wound around the old barn, horse pasture, granary, corn crib, machine shed, and chicken house, to end up at their old farmhouse. The white picket fence ran across the front of the yard and the croquet set would be set up on the lawn. Grandma would have homemade pies cooling on the kitchen counter. As her favorite place to be, it felt like a little bit of heaven here on earth, to Sharon back then!
Some collector's comments on Sharon's paintings.
"Could look at these paintings for hours. What simplicity yet detail."
"I am from a farm…this painting pulls at my heartstrings - well worth it!!"
"Absolutely beautiful. Worth every cent. Highly recommend. Very talented. "
"I hope you also know the gratitude in what you have chosen to create."
"I will treasure this painting always”. beautiful painting, very nicely packaged. "
"Stunning! Gorgeous painting that will get best wall in the house! Thank you!!!!"
"I just love how your paintings make me feel like I am standing on the side of a road,
smack dab in the middle of the prairie, looking at a far-away farm beyond green fields."