Shari MacFarlane

All of the lessons I took for over 40 years gave me a great command of my materials but did not help me to express my innermost truths. My imagination was yearning to break free and I felt a part of me was not present in the final work.  

I began by entering my studio one day with the idea that I would just play, and try to remember what that felt like when I first discovered paint as a child. I began by rubbing my hand in cobalt blue  paint on my palette, and firmly slapping it onto the upper left hand corner of the white canvas. Other colors were added with many different brushes and tools. Shapes and paths were woven through the bright colors. Lines were added, and more paint was layered on top, sometimes adding collage material to create a lush textural surface. Feelings and thoughts would rise up during the hours and the painting would continue in an intuitive way. What began that day as an experiment over a dozen years ago has led me down a path of self discovery into a world of my own imagining. So far, I have not been able to turn back.  

Beginning as an arts and crafts teacher at a summer camp in Up state New York at age 16 and then studying Fine Art at Rochester Institute of Technology, I discovered my passion for painting and teaching. I now teach and paint in my studio located in Vienna, VA.

If you are interested in purchasing one of the pieces showcased here or viewing it in person, please contact Lu Cousins (lucousins@gmail.com) at the Vienna Art Center.