SHARMON DAVIDSON

ARTIST BIO

Sharmon Davidson is a contemporary mixed media artist who uses colorful, dreamlike, nature-inspired imagery to explore her belief in the unity and interconnectedness of everything in the universe. Natural forms such as birds, plants, and seeds have become personal symbols in her work. Davidson states: "I create art out of a need to express the ideas I feel are most important. The delicate balance of the natural world, particularly in relation to the activities of humans, cannot be overstated. I’m fascinated by how the universe works – by the visible and invisible connections between all things."

Her process for these mixed media pieces usually begins with a multi-layered monotype using transparent printing inks. After the monotype is dry, layers of acrylic inks, colored pencil, and collage elements are added. Currently, she has been working on a series of collages, many of which utilize vintage book covers and ephemera as materials. She enjoys recycling these objects by giving them a new life in her work.

Artistic influences include the Surrealists and the Symbolists, and she credits a childhood fascination with fairy tale illustrations for her early interest in mystical and fantasy art. Having studied the visual arts extensively at Northern Kentucky University and the Art Academy of Cincinnati, she has exhibited professionally since 1993. Her work has been published on magazine and book covers, and featured in several art publications, including Storytelling With Collage: Techniques for Layering, Color, and Texture by Roxanne Evans Stout. Recent solo exhibition venues include the Chaddock and Morrow Gallery in Athens, Ohio, and an Artist Spotlight Solo Art Exhibition at Fusion Art online. She is currently represented by the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen Gallery in Berea, Kentucky.


ARTIST STATEMENT

My earliest memories are of a preoccupation with careful examination of the world around me, and with making marks on paper to represent what I saw. I was lucky to grow up in an environment where I was free to spend most of my time outdoors, roaming the local woods, creeks, and hills. The more I learned about nature, the more clearly I saw that nothing is really separate in itself. Formed from common elements born from a common source, everything is interconnected in the most intricate ways, both visible and invisible.

My work originates from a deep belief in the sanctity of the earth, and in the underlying unity of everything in our universe. I believe that my purpose as an artist is to share that sense of oneness, if only in some small way, with the viewer. Art has the power to expose people to new perspectives, because images touch our hearts and minds at a level deeper than words. Visual expression of the message that we are connected to nature and to one another – and that the connection is real and intimate, not just some ‘theory’ – is increasingly important to our world and our individual communities. I use a vocabulary of nature-inspired symbols – juxtaposed, fused, and interwoven with humans and each other – in my attempt to reveal that essential mystery.