Sharz Art Design Blog Archive

The younger Sharlene didn't sit still. If there was something to be done, I did it. If it was on my mind, I wanted it done so I could move on to the next thing. I never really felt guilty about sitting down, but I certainly didn't place much value on "me" time. I...

I've never really understood the idea that getting older means you should stop trying new things. I've always been a learner.  If something catches my interest, I want to know more about it. I want to have a go. I want to pull it apart, work out how it works and see...

After nearly five decades of creating art and almost ten years of teaching it, you might think I've learnt everything there is to know. I certainly don't feel like I have. My own learning journey hasn't stopped. I learn something new every day. Sometimes it's through...

When I unlock the studio before a class, I always hope people feel something before they've even picked up a pencil. I hope they feel the creativity.  The calm.  The artistic vibe.  A little piece of my spirit. Art has always been a place where I feel settled, so I've...

Every now and then I'll hear someone say, "I used to paint." Or... "I used to draw all the time." It's almost always followed by the same sentence. "Life got busy." I don't think people stop creating because they fall out of love with it.  I think life quietly gets in...

I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say, "I'm not creative." Or... "I can't even draw a stick figure." Every time I hear it, I smile to myself.  Not because I'm laughing at them, but because I genuinely don't believe it's true.  I honestly believe...

One of the biggest differences I've noticed between children and adults is the way they approach mistakes. I've noticed that most children are much happier to have a go, even if it doesn't work out the first time.  They'll grab another piece of paper, rub something...

When I look around a classroom, I'm not hoping to see thirty identical artworks lined up at the end of the lesson. I'm hoping to see thirty different interpretations. Thirty different ideas. Thirty different personalities shining through the page. In fact, if every...

Lately, I've been reminded just how important it is to keep my own cup full.  It's one of those sayings that gets thrown around a lot, but the busier I am, the more I realise how true it is. You can't keep giving from an empty cup.  You can try. Most of us do.  We...

When people think of art teachers, they often picture someone who spends all day teaching and then goes home and paints masterpieces.  The truth is a little less glamorous than that. Like most people, life gets busy. There are classes to plan, emails to answer,...