There are no limits for a High River multimedia artist who continues to expand her horizons when it comes to creating art.
It all started with a paint set Sharon Wagner’s husband bought her as a Christmas gift 24 years ago. Since then, Wagner’s skills grew from realism acrylic and oil painting to abstract multimedia creations that have graced the walls of local galleries including the Leighton Art Centre near Millarville and Lineham House Galleries in Okotoks.
“I used to watch painting shows on TV,” she said. “I always loved art and never thought I could do it until he gave me the opportunity.”
Fifteen pieces of Wagner’s acrylic, mixed media art are on display in the Sheep River Library gallery in Turner Valley and will remain there for viewing until the end of February.
“I’m inspired to create and create to inspire - that’s my motto,” she said. “My inspiration comes from nature and my observations. With my abstract art it’s just a mixture of my imagination and my observations.”
Wagner derives a lot of inspiration for her art from her surroundings from the rocks and trees to the prairies and mountains.
“When I go out in nature and observe I get different feelings and emotions,” she said. “The only way to describe it is to paint it. Each painting is kind of an experiment to connect to that expression, that feeling. It takes on its own form. It becomes more about what is it going to be not what can I make it.”
When Wagner began painting 24 years ago she started with oil. When she realized she was allergic to it she moved onto acrylics, but soon struggled.
“I was trying to use it the same as oil paint and it doesn’t work like that,” she said. “Oil paint is slow drying and you can work it and rework it whereas the acrylic dries quite fast and you can’t mix it as well as the oil as you go.”
Wagner decided to try her hand at abstract art about 15 years ago and immediately loved it.
“There was so much to learn through abstract,” she said. “I found it very satisfying and much more creative.”
Wagner uses mixed media to create texture in her paintings, such as cheesecloth, paper, handmade tiles and homemade air-dry clay. She applies these substances with different tools, and sometimes sands and carves the materials.
“It really adds a neat effect to the painting,” she said. “I could just create from, instead of a photograph, a mixture of photographs and a mixture of my creating. I was attracted to that way of thinking, that way of creating. The thought process was different than painting a landscape or a bouquet of flowers.
“You could add and experiment a lot more with abstract than you can in realistic painting. I’ve seen multimedia and liked it so I wanted to try some. I like experimenting so it really satisfied the curiosity in me.”
For Wagner, the process of creating her abstract art is more important than the finished product.
“It’s more satisfying - it’s like an accomplishment,” she said. "Relating one object’s form, line, colour, value to the next shape to co-ordinate everything in the painting is quite a challenge. It’s a big discovery is part of the process.”
Over the years, art has become Wagner’s career. She works from her home studio in High River and teaches art to school-aged children, as well as adults.
Wagner is hosting an abstract workshop for ages 12 and older at the Sheep River Library Feb. 1 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at a cost of $40.
For more details call 403-652-0851 or email [email protected]
To see some of Wagner’s art search Sharon L Wagner Art on Facebook and Sharon Wagner 62 on Instagram.
