New Solo Exhibition by Sharon Harvey is an Explosion of Botanical Beauty

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New solo exhibition by Sharon Harvey is an explosion of botanical beauty

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This June sees an explosion of colour and botanical beauty come to Caernarfon with British artist Sharon Harvey’s first solo exhibition at Life: Full Colour.

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Sharon’s paintings are inspired by the natural landscape, including the rugged coastlines of Wales where she lived until recently, and botanical forms.

Sketching on location, noticing the shapes, patterns and textures, Sharon captures the mood of the place or a moment in time.

“I attempt to grasp the feeling of a place before it disintegrates, allowing the painting to become a metaphor for the lived experience.”

With Floriography – The Language of Flowers, Sharon has painted a collection that is a riot of colour while exploring the hidden meaning of flowers. “I’m not interested in capturing the flower accurately, I put on canvas the feelings, memories and the meaning the flowers evoke.”

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Sharon sketching on location

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Life is a Flower

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Magnolia Blooms

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The collection is full of joy and hope, yet it came about due to tragic circumstances.

In February 2021, Sharon’s mother passed away suddenly from a ruptured haemorrhage after surviving a battle with COVID-19. Operating in a state of deep shock, Sharon suffered an unfortunate accident which meant she was unable to walk or stand while she recovered.

“Lying on my sofa, unable to move or paint forced me to stop, take stock and work through my grief.

“I read a lot about processing grief. I knew that I needed an outlet, but I wanted it to be joyous as everyone was feeling so oppressed, helpless, and hopeless at the time. I also appreciated there were millions of people who had lost someone close to them, just like me.

“Throughout my illness, my friends were sending me amazing flowers. It was lovely to receive a bouquet of flowers as it meant somebody was thinking of me. I enjoyed the beauty of the flower but also the act of giving.

“That’s how the botanical collection started.  The flowers received, along with my garden became my inspiration.”

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Wild Meadow

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Les Fleurs

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Floriography

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Combining the difficult time Sharon was experiencing personally with the fact she couldn’t get to her normal stomping grounds due to lockdown, and the flowers took on so much more meaning.

“I really wanted to paint something with joy, optimism, and hope. Flowers seemed the most perfect vehicle to convey what I was feeling.”

This love of flowers is deeply entrenched in Sharon, and she loves nothing more than a secret garden; one that is overgrown, messy and full of wildflowers.

“Just like an overgrown garden, I’ve allowed these paintings to be unruly. They are not supposed to be neat and ordered. They are riotous, like a friend who is badly behaved and drinks too much champagne.

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“There’s a freedom to these paintings that I don’t experience when I’m painting landscapes.

With landscapes, there’s more of a formality that comes into play as you want to create good composition, examining the darks and the lights, and whether your eye moves around the picture plane. 

I didn’t worry about this with the botanicals. It’s just me letting it flow as I try to throw off the heaviness and be joyous.”

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Blazing Borders

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The botanicals in Sharon’s exhibition have filled her with hope that things can get better, and she wants viewers to feel the same.

“I’m hoping people remember when they connected with nature during lockdown and were thankful for a blue sky or a beautiful tree.

“During the pandemic, people realised what was important in life, and I hope these paintings stimulate those memories and remind you of a moment of joy and happiness. You can’t help but feel optimistic when you’re surrounded by all that colour.”

Floriography – The Language of Flowers features 24 paintings that include either acrylic, oil and resin on canvas or board, or a mixture of these mediums. Each painting reflects a deeper meaning, personal to Sharon and her experience but one that will resonate with lovers of art and colour.

To see the exhibition, visit the Life: Full Colour gallery at 23-25 Hole in the Wall Street, Caernarfon. The gallery is open every Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm.

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 Floriography – The Language of Flowers by Sharon Harvey opens at Life: Full Colour on Friday 3^rd June and closes 2^nd July 2022.

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