Visiting Artist Sharon Cope
Sharon Cope, a native of Florida, has taken an unordinary approach to her artwork.
Always looking for affordable ways to create her works of art, even as an artist who works with paint daily, she quickly found traditional paintbrushes restricting.
“I originally painted with my fingers but was embarrassed about constantly having paint under my nails,” she says.
This embarrassment led to a new discovery. One day, while shuffling through a drugstore, someone suggested Q-tips as an affordable alternative to the classic paintbrush.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Sharon prefers to find her inspiration in her place of worship. Since all of her artwork is inspired by her Christian faith, the church is the perfect place to find subjects. Her subjects tend to be women and children because they are often, according to Sharon, “more expressive.”
Sharon works as a Customer Service Manager for the Navy during the day. However, she doesn’t let her day job get in the way of making people smile through her art.
“There are nights when I can paint until six in the morning and wake up, go to work at 8:30, and not be tired,” she says. “See, painting is something I love to do and it makes me happy, so it doesn’t make me tired in the morning. In fact, it actually relaxes me and acts as a sort of meditation.”
This constant pursuit of her passion has led to her work being displayed at the Greater Gulf Coast Arts Festival in Downtown Pensacola and even at the Kako Gallery in New Orleans.
On March 16, 2017, Sharon held an art class at Dixon School of the Arts. She had the scholars pick one of the following quotes for inspiration: “I never lose, I either win or learn,” “Why fit in when you were born to stand out,” and “She dreamt she could and she did.”
The scholars were thrilled with their pieces and were inspired by the fact that they could create beautiful works of art with a simple Q-tip that they have in the house.
Takira, a third grade scholar, was specifically inspired by using the Q-tips to “paint your expressions.”
The scholars were all grateful for Sharon’s guidance and inspiration. Her dedication to art and the community left a lasting impression on the Dixon School of the Arts.