When Richardson began painting, she observed how the same subject viewed in a variety of lighting conditions looked completely different. The realization that light can transform mundane into magnificent shaped her belief that almost anything can be beautiful to paint if it is viewed in the right light. Light and how it flows across objects became the focus of her pastel and oil paintings.
For six years Richardson was co-owner of a painting workshops business and studied with a variety of professional artists. Later, visits to European museums to see first-hand the Impressionists’ paintings, and visits to Monet’s Gardens and Sorolla’s studio broadened her appreciation of great artists who also painted by the light. Sunlight seems to affect objects differently in different places. Painting in Paris, Madrid, the South of France, and the Ligurian Coast of Italy were enriching experiences.
Artist statement:
“Painting, especially outdoors, is the most exhilarating and humbling experience there is. For me, it’s all about the light, trying to capture the quality of it as it flickers across the landscape or still life. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and elusive. The pursuit is addictive.
Natchez is a perfect place for me to paint. In addition to the elegant historic architecture and gardens for subject matter, I can be on a sun-dappled dirt road, painting, just minutes from home. My penchant for painting these sunken roads comes from the childhood magic they still hold for me.”
Sharon Richardson was born in Woodville, Mississippi, and grew up living in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. After graduating from the University of Georgia in Athens, she relocated to Mississippi, and currently lives in Natchez.