Sharon Drew

Sharon Drew is a London-based artist whose process-based abstract paintings respond to her experience of the natural world. The works show a confident use of colour, are often large-scale and employ a range of approaches. From diluted sweeping gestural brush strokes and scraped motifs to smooth rubbed back surfaces revealing older detailed layers, Drew treads the fine line between risk and control.

Drew’s paintings have been embraced by the world of fashion and interiors, used in shoots for Vogue, Stella McCartney, Gucci Flora, Soho Home, purchases include Locke am Platz Hotel, Zurich and Jigsaw St Pancras International and published in magazines - Wallpaper, The World of Interiors and Elle Decoration. Drew completed her Fine Art MA at UAL Central Saint Martins in 2003 where she is now Mentor to Fine Art MA and BA students. Drew’s work is in private collections in London, Los Angeles, Toronto, Zurich and Grenoble.

Working outside in my sketchbook I scour the landscape for inspiration, sources range from my garden and local surroundings of Epping Forest to the coasts of Cornwall and Kent. I’m captivated by the power of nature; the vitality and drive of vegetation in Spring, the sculptural twists of an ancient oak, expansive light-filled coastal skies, scudding clouds and turbulent waters.

When making large-scale paintings it creates an energy I don’t find any other way. Abstract art can also offer a freedom - aesthetically, as it is an invented visual language and also because of the validity of individual associations and interpretations. However recently motifs have emerged - nature is calling louder, there is a real sense of urgency at the fragile coexistence of the planet with humanity. The apparent need to exploit the earth of its resources for profit, with very little concern for the resulting habitat devastation and wildlife extinction. Despite needing these very ecosystems in place for our own survival, it seems we haven’t yet understood that Everything is Connected.

I work in my garden and studio and I care passionately about these two environments. Both sites provide opportunities to try out ideas and processes and explore a range of aesthetic qualities such as rhythm and movement, texture and tone, colour and shifting light.  My London garden has a rambling, rural attitude and offers a place of retreat from the relentless pace of modern-day life. It gives an opportunity to connect with flora and fauna and rhythms of the seasons. Over the years it has been increasingly important to help develop a thriving ecosystem by planting for pollinators, creating wet and dry natural habitats and providing food stations to support the resident population of wildlife.

The studio, which is in the midst of all this activity, helps to create a vibe where I feel insulated from external pressures and immersed in my own world.  It is a space where I can explore different working processes and develop the craft of painting.  I’m fascinated to see what paint can do - from holding a gestural brush stroke in the thinnest of wet paint to sanding and smoothing old layers revealing detailed patches of colour. I like to try out dynamic or surprising combinations, the activity is a constant dance of directing, happy accidents and going with the flow. I’m seeking visual metaphors for the sensation of immersion in an environment rather than depicting a particular place. Having faith in experimentation and improvisation, I aim to work in the moment and trust that from this process something new will emerge.

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