Sharlene Welton

Out of the Darkness
Painting
Artist Statement
My paintings are my childhood memories preserved on canvas. A still life of my father staking leaning, blossom-laden peony bushes. Or my mother cutting and wrapping the peony blooms for teacher bouquets. Or me, feeling ants creeping down along my limbs as I walk to school. Once upon a time, our small Michigan backyard was a safe haven of trees, flowers, walking paths, and sprouting fruits and vegetables. Summer travels with seven siblings to my grandfather's cottage extended that floral landscape with a lake view, majestic trees, swamps and hiking trails. My personal scrapbook of emotions, an escape back in time, and a safe refuge against despair drives me. I aspire to connect the natural world with the joy of family, the comfort of home, and the quiet calm of beauty. ? With brush and palette knife in hand, I use colorful, fluid acrylics to capture nature through my childhood lens. I strive to communicate its timelessness and grace. Not just any flowers. Not just any trees.