|  a b o u t   t h e   a r t i s t  | Sharon’s paintings are traditional in approach, and she strives to achieve a balance between both realistic and impressionistic painting styles.  An accomplished painter in both oil and pastel, she prefers to paint in oils.  Discovering the excitement of working “en plein air” has changed the quality and mood of her paintings dramatically.  Sharon believes that painting on location adds an entirely new dimension to her landscapes.  “The paintings have an excitement about them, because they truly capture a moment in time.  Painting under the constraints of time, changing weather and light forces me to focus on the most important elements of the subject.  I can't get distracted by small details or portions of the landscape that won't allow me to achieve what I am striving to communicate”. Growing up on Long Island Sound in Connecticut, Sharon feels most at home painting on the coast.  She finds herself at the ocean or a marsh and chooses the coast of Maine, scenes from Martha’s Vineyard, Plum Island and Newburyport, MA as her main subject matter.   Painting at a coastal location is a relaxing,  theraputic, and creative process for Sharon.  Listening to the sounds of the ocean, wind, and surrounding wildlife helps her to be connected with her subject, which translates to her painting.  "I truly leave a piece of my heart and soul on each canvas". Painting on the beach at Aquinnah in Martha's Vineyard Painting at my favorite place: the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island in Newburyport, Massachusetts Sharon exhibits her artwork in outdoor and juried art shows throughout New England, and at galleries in both Manchester, NH and Wellesley, MA.  She grew up in a family of artists with her mother, Shirley Price, leading her children down art's paths.  Sharon's mom was an early influence as Sharon would paint with watercolors alongside her as she composed works in pen and ink.  However, it wasn’t until Sharon was in her mid-thirties that she began to pursue art seriously.  Her first career choice was in law enforcement, and she graduated from Saint Anselm College with a B.A. in Criminal Justice in 1988. During her internship at the police academy, she found an interest in teaching, but didn’t pursue this career path until after she had a family. She attended Notre Dame College in Manchester, NH, where she earned a second B.A. in Fine Art and her Master of Education degree in 2002.  Sharon has been teaching art in Manchester for the past seven years, and currently teaches at the middle school level. Sharon is among twenty-seven artists who show their work at the East Colony Fine Art Gallery in Manchester, New Hampshire, and also shows her work at the AZ Fine Art Gallery in Wellesley, Massachusetts.  She is an artist member of the Andover Artists Guild, Manchester Artist Association, Nashua Area Artist Association, and the Newburyport Art Association.  Painting at Fort Foster in Kittery, Maine Another favorite place to paint: Barrier Beach Marsh at Laudholm Farm in Wells, Maine