Since a young age, Sharon Frank Mazgaj, winner of the 107th Annual Exhibition Salmagundi Club Award for Graphics, considered herself an artist.
"I was the kid who would spend endless hours drawing and coloring with graphite pencils and crayons. I still spend countless hours in my studio and I still enjoy using pencils, but I have traded the crayons in for colored pencils, watercolor and oil paints."
Winning painting at left- "Heirloom Tomatoes 2"
Sharon Frank earned a Graphic Design degree from the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. She continued her education and obtained a teaching certificate which afforded her the opportunity to teach art at the elementary and high school levels. Although she thoroughly enjoy helping others develop their respective artistic skills, she found nothing more satisfying than interpreting subject matter to create an original piece of art.
"I am always looking for interesting subject matter that will serve as a focal point. Many times the shapes and colors of simple items we observe or use every day serve as the subjects of my work. I routinely utilize vintage items or things from my childhood in my artwork. Once I decide upon the subject matter, my next consideration is always composition. I love dramatic lighting and I'm intrigued with reflective color in shadows. I like to mix hard, shiny objects with those that are organic and soft. Although my work is highly representational, I do not consider myself a 'photo-realistic' artist. I routinely enhance the colors of objects and soften or subdue areas in each piece and work in several mediums, including watercolor, colored pencil and oil. Regardless of the medium, all of my artwork begins with a number of photographs that I take of the subject, using multiple lighting patterns and configurations."
Sharon is a 10 year Signature Member of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA), Allied Artists of America, Canton Artists League and Cuyahoga Valley Art Center. She routinely enters juried art exhibitions at the local and international level and has been featured in several art books and magazines.
"I love to create art. It's what I do!"