Sharon Stelluto
Sharon Stelluto, I’m a contemporary artist from Philadelphia, PA. Primarily an oil painter but she also does mixed media illustration pieces consisting of watercolor, pastels, and ink with side projects in collage. You can find her on the web at… www.sharonstelluto.com
What are you currently working on?
I am working on a new piece that embodies botanical forms fused with industrial mechanical forms. The figurative nature of the work allows the natural world to blend with machinery and metals. Two distinct shapes of opposites dance across the canvas only to combine and blend into one plantlike form made of mechanical parts. My intent is to illustrate the ceremony of opposites, fusing the feminine energy of the natural world along with the masculine energy of industrial forms. A significant theme in my work is the concept of duality. I formulate a space where the dualities can intermingle and create a sense of oneness.
Why are you an artist?
My life has consisted of a distinct inspiring life force that compels me to create. I believe being an artist is no longer about a passion, but more of a necessity and a compulsion.
We are creative beings; it is our very nature and our core to express ourselves. It feels unnatural to me to not let that unravel from my being on a daily basis. It is a way of life to me, not a choice.
How did you get into art?
I came out of the womb with a paintbrush in my hand. I remember responding to life at an early age by art making.
My parent’s would take us to church every Sunday and I would always bring my bag of crayons and paper. Although I may not have understood the setting, I found comfort in my random doodles among the church pews. I may have even absorbed the Spirituality through osmosis.
Later on in life, my work began to reflect the spiritual path that I soon found myself upon. No longer a believer in organized religion, I found a unique spiritual journey of my own as the truths and divinity of life blossomed for me in its own beautiful pattern.
This soon started to shape and support the depth of my work as an artist.
I saw that the dance with life and the sheer amazement of experiencing this world is a spiritual practice in itself.
Tell us about your connection to your subject matter, way of working, concepts, etc?
As a young child I had a wild imagination. I would thrive on taking nature walks and collecting any shape, plant, rock, or particle that I found interest in.
I loved getting my hands into the dirt, creating dreams and worlds with the earth.
My backyard was a mystical land of opportunity. I would like to think that this passion for the natural world has extended into my work today.
I continue to collect shapes, and references from nature to this day.
My favorite past time is walking in gardens or nurseries full of flowers and lush greenery. I notice shapes and colors but also witness the way plants choose to unfold.
I draw a lot of my inspiration from color and feel that the vibrancy of color contains so much joy and life within it. Nature grounds me and helps me remember what is truly important in my life.
Having studied and practiced yoga for many years as well as being a certified Reiki practitioner, I believe I embrace a more holistic viewpoint of life.
This ultimately creates the structure for my work. Living a life with constant awareness that everything within life is energy, including us, I approach my work with this underlying concept.
My intention is to formulate a visual language for this invisible force that permeates all of life.
I often reference ancient mark making from the Mayan civilizations. Their knowledge and awareness of shape within their art was extremely advanced. I am drawn to the Mayan Art forms because they do resemble cellular structures. I feel the imagery of the living cell exemplifies energy in its purest form.
I am also drawn to the concept of duality and opposing forces. I am mostly inspired by feminine energy vs. masculine energy in its myriad of forms. To create this contrast, I incorporate natural, botanical imagery with the balance of industrial, mechanical shapes.
In blending these opposing forces, oneness is created and a subtle reminder that it all originates from the same source.
Does the “creative process” happen easily for you?
Yes and No. Yes, because my life is full of so much inspiration and imagination as I live and breathe creativity in all I do. But to blend this inner determination with the outside world and life’s daily demands can be tricky at times. Within my career as an artist, I have found that time maintenance has been a key factor. There also may be moments when you have the time but lack the driving force to create. Creativity, I believe, is not something that should be forced. But sometimes when you reach a block, you have to break through those walls in order to maintain your drive and direction.
On my path as an artist I have encountered moments of creative block and it seems to come in phases with the undulations of life. I maintain hope in those phases, knowing it will return to fruition once again. But I’ve found that one’s inspiration is a well and when not nurtured properly has a tendency to dry up. Your inspiration needs to be fed in order for the creative process to continue to take place.
Do you get to other artists exhibitions, openings, etc?
Yes, I feel it is just as important to find inspiration by seeing other artwork, as it is to spend time creating. I make a habit of going to gallery openings, scrounging through books at the bookstore, or tapping into the wealth of resources on the Internet.
It is important to me to understand what is current. As much as we all have been shaped by our world and what has come before us in terms of art history, I feel it is most relevant for me to understand the present moment. To witness and take in the current trends, and underlying art movement taking place reflects the conscious collective of humanity in the now moment. Society changes over time and although the great masters hold brilliancy and weight for inspiration, I find that the innovation of current work reflects our present world state. To be a part of something that is actively taking place has a greater subtlety and grace to it.
Can you name a favorite artist or three…and why?
I am very inspired by artists with sharp, bold, linear shapes such as Keith Haring and Jean Dubuffet. I am in love with Jean Dubuffet’s sculpture work where he blends painting and sculpture together, creating living landscapes of art form. His simple use of line and form creates such a beautiful dynamic of shape. Drawing a lot of inspiration from graffiti and the street art scene, I feel that line work and the flow of form is important in conveying emotion.
More current contemporary artists who inspire me are Oliver Vernon and Damon Soule. The work of these artists has distinct connections with the earth as well as spiritual undertones. They convey this by using soft, subtle methods combined with sharper shapes and an urban flare. I feel that these artists are masters of form and color.
What can you say about your work that might not be evident to the viewer?
I am intrigued by the current state of the world and how it is shaping us all. These times are crying out for balance and healing. I believe this healing should begin within us as individuals.
We are so caught up in global change that we tend to forget that changes have to start within us first. I feel that one of the only things in this world that has guaranteed a place of joy, upliftment, pleasure and healing for humanity is that of the arts.
Within my work, my focal point has been on the issue of blending the harsher masculine quality of our industrialized society with the healing of the land through a natural urbanized art style.
My approach in my work is to facilitate an opening of the heart through color and healing forms, reminding us of where the healing really needs to take place.
If you stopped doing art right now, would you miss it?
Yes, extremely. Sometimes I think of the lives of people who do not practice an art form.
I think of all the free time they must have! But I’m sure on many levels, they fill their lives up with other joys. It is just hard for me to fathom not spending a majority of my life in union with my own creative self. I see it as a form of spiritual practice that allows me to commune with the divine and welcome the imagery that would like to come through.
Artists seem to have permission to meditate with themselves much easier than one who does not pursue this mode of expression. It’s like a free pass to your true self and innermost passions!
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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+
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[...] art exhibit “Consciousness of Form”, a presentation of works by Philadelphia Artist, Sharon Stelluto, on Feb. 20th, 2010 from 5:30pm-7:30pm. The show runs until March 1st, [...]