Spring 2019 - 4

A Handful of Pebbles
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
P
ictou is a charming, old seaside
town in Nova Scotia, Canada; home
to people who fish, farm, sing, dance
and hang their clothes outside to dry.
It's a friendly place centered around
community and family.
This is where artist Sharon Nowlan
grew up drawing, painting and creating
in a variety of media. The spirit of
Pictou's diverse landscapes and
welcoming residents flows through her
serene work - a mix of items found in
nature and other materials carefully
arranged into uplifting designs that
celebrate meaningful relationships and
special places.
In October 2017, DEMDACO
introduced the Sharon Nowlan
Collection of distinctive pebble
artwork. Those early creations began
as a handful of small, smooth rocks
Sharon's son found on a beach. Inspired
by their unique natural beauty and
texture, they were soon given new life
as sea-softened, emotional depictions
of grandparents and children. Her
exploration of this distinctive style has
evolved over time to portray a widerange
of subjects, and incorporate
different materials.
Now widely available in highlydetailed
artisan reproductions, Sharon's
artwork is a DEMDACO top-seller and
her collection was recently expanded to
include new pieces that use soft hues
of blue and green sea glass for added
touches of color. Here's some insight
into Sharon's creative process, her
inspirations and other thoughts.
When your son gave you those first
pebbles, did you know it would lead
to something special?
That day is a very special memory. I
recall he was afraid of the big waves, so
he stayed on the dry sand. He picked up
these little flat pebbles, brought them to
me, and I put them in my pocket. I didn't
know at the time what to do with them,
but it was this special moment with
him that inspired me to create my first
pebble pieces the next day.
How long after you created that
first pebble piece did you start
showing these works?
As soon as the glue dried the next
day, I had my first pebble pieces
framed and on my gallery wall. I only
had a small handful of pebbles, but
managed to make two pictures that
day-a grandmother and a child baking
cookies, and a grandfather and a child
reading a book. These were inspired by
things my parents liked to do with my
children. I was excited for them to see
my new art, but they sold so quickly,
they never had a chance. That's when I
knew I had to make more.
What do you strive to achieve
through your artwork?
My main objective is to say as much
as possible with as little as possible. It's
not always an easy thing to do when
you work with tiny pebbles. I try to look
at life from afar and scrub away the
clutter to create a quiet, peaceful and
minimal reflection of life and nature. I
strive to achieve warmth and lightness
from cold, hard pebbles and sea glass.
How often do you experiment with
new media?
For the first year or so I only used
pebbles and space in my designs. After
a while I began to experiment with the
use of line, as well as shell pieces. After
that I introduced bits of driftwood and
then sea glass. I've also played with
twigs, sand, moss, paper, metal, wire
and other random things.
What drew you to sea glass as the
focus of your recent work?
Sea glass is a wonderful complement
to the pebbles. It was one of those
things that I picked up along with the
pebbles for many years, even before
I knew what to do with it. The small
pops of color help draw attention to the
important parts of the designs.
About DEMDACO
For more than 20 years, DEMDACO
has designed and sold giftable products
intended to " Lift the Spirit " - in times
of celebration, when comfort is needed,
or just to put a smile on someone's
face. The hand-curated artisan gifts it
develops and distributes are chosen
for their potential to help people
nurture goodness in the lives of others,
celebrate family and friends and
encourage people to treat themselves.
ADVERTISEMENT | © 2019 DEMDACO
4 SPRING 2019
Circle 320 or text GSSPR 320 to 41411
Spring 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spring 2019
