The moment that Arizona native Sharon Sieben picks up a paintbrush, she sets off on a journey of discovery, taking exploratory twists and turns until ultimately she finds her finished artwork.
Her goal, in creating artwork, is to create a means of communication with others, and her talent for doing so speaks volumes upon canvas.
With the use of acrylic molding paste, acrylics, and oils, Sharon created this fun piece seen below—entitled Rhino Romp.
Complimentary colors and a highly-textured background create abundant visual energy that seems to send the rhino forward, out of the canvas. The enormity of the beast is especially pronounced through its bone white highlights, from the tip of his sharp horn to his skeletal back and body rippling with muscle and thick skin.
Altogether, this is a vibrant piece of art with a color scheme that cleverly mimics the real-life landscapes that are home to the mighty rhinocerous.
Another mixed media/oil piece on paper, Brooklyn Sunset portrays a fading sunset that reminds me of a quote from The Outsiders—”Nothing gold can stay.”
Even the heavy cement bridge is invigorated by the sun’s rays, while bridge cables imitate the streaming light, adding balance between the light and dark lines spilling across the paper.
This painting is as much an industrial piece as it is an environmental one. Striking a perfect balance between the two is what makes it uniquely beautiful.
Lastly, Elegance is a contemporary nude that demonstrates the splendor and finesse of the female body in a respectful, yet awe-inspiring manner. Splashes of color in the sheer, gauzy scarf conceal while emphasizing the beautiful contours and curves of the woman—curves that are both highlighted and shadowed by those same pops of color.
This painting is, to me, reminiscent of a nude sculpture, with its rough texture and only half-sketched limbs fading from existence. Its gray and beige background serves to keep all of our attention on the woman’s figure, while splotches of burgundy throughout bring to mind sculpting clay—a metaphor, perhaps, in that we are never completely done being shaped and molded by our experiences.
Though we’ve only shown one nude painting, figurative subjects are Sharon’s specialty. Head over to her online portfolio to see more of her gorgeously colorful work.
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