CV/Bio
“Charlie” Sharpe, a multidisciplinary artist transitioned to this format after years of working solely as a Sculptor. The impetus for this expansion was a desire to expand her opportunities for creative expression. Her current focus is painting. She most often employs an acrylic or encaustic medium as her base then incorporates such other mediums as pastels, oils, oil pastels, inks and even discovered objects into the painting.
Charlie finds encaustic painting fascinating. It involves applying heated, wax-based paint made from beeswax, resin and pigments to a surface, and then fusing the paint into an enamel-like finish. It is very different from painting with other mediums. Encaustic pieces can sometimes take on the quality of sculpting in relief. Some of her encaustic paintings are very fluid and often have embedded objects. Others are more abstract or semi-abstract landscapes.
As for her acrylic work, in the beginning there were many abstract or semi-abstract landscapes. However, more recently she has started to develop a geometric focus. This new focus is not surprising given her years of sculpting through which she became intimately familiar with the use of line, form and space to create a structure.
Charlie is fascinated by the complex interplay between line, form and space. Observing and experimenting with this interplay is the foundation of her creative inspiration. When a creative idea stems from observation of this interplay the result is usually the artmaking that is focused on developing a piece designed to invoke an emotion in herself and then ultimately the viewer. On the other hand, when she experiments with or intuitively manipulates the interplay of line, form and space, the intent is to create or discover a personal emotion that she will explore to create a work of art.
Charlie was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in California. She comes from an artistic family. Her mother was a political cartoonist and artist working in pastels and oils. Her brother is a well-known woodworker living in Oregon. Charlie migrated to the Pacific Northwest in 1975. She has kept busy over the years raising her son, completing her graduate degree in Whole Systems Design and attending to her professional obligations as an education consultant. Through the years Charlie has always turned to the arts and art making as a way of grounding her life and stimulating creative energies. As a child she used dance as a means of self-expression. It was in her teens that Charlie began to explore the visual arts, first clay hand building, then later sketching, papermaking, clay sculpting, photography and stone sculpting. In January 2003 Nichole began working as an artist full time. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington where she works in her home based studio.
EXHIBITIONS, GALLERIES
AND PUBLIC DISPLAY
1999 THE OTHER ROADSIDE ATTRACTION GALLERY, Mount Vernon, Washington
2001 DISCOVERED AND UN-D ICOVERED POTTERS, Renton, Washington
2003 TRINE STUDIO, Seattle, Washington
KIRSTEN GALLERY, Seattle, Washington
2004 THE OTHER ROADSIDE ATTRACTION GALLERY, Mount Vernon, Washington
PROVIDENCE MEDICAL CENTER, Mill Creek, Washington
LAKE OSWEGO FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, Lake Oswego, Oregon
KIRSTEN GALLERY, Seattle, Washington
ARTIST GALLERY OF SEATTLE, Seattle, Washington
THE FLOWER AND GARDEN SHOW, Seattle, Washington
2005 WESTCOT BAY INSTITUTE, San Juan Island, Washington
CROOKED LION FINE ART, Lynden, Washington
ARTIST GALLERY OF SEATTLE, Seattle, Washington
GALLERY AT UTSALADY BAY, Camano Island, Washington
2007 KIRSTEN GALLERY, Seattle, Washington
MARENAKOS STONEARIUM Gallery, Seattle, Washington
EDMONDS ART GALLERY, Edmonds Washington
2008 BLUE HORSE GALLERY, Bellingham, Washington
EDMONDS ART GALLERY, Edmonds, Washington
2009 BLUE HORSE GALLERY, Bellingham, Washington
KIRSTEN GALLERY, Seattle, Washington
2010 BLUE HORSE GALLERY, Bellingham, Washington
Sample of Private Collections
Sue Noble, Seattle, WAshington
Patrice Lewis, Seattle, WAshington
Suzzanna Goldman, phoenix, arizona
Janet Novinger, seattle, washington
Don Johnson and Cindy Weeks, clinton washington
Ginny Matheson, seattle, washington
Donavan Krish, seattle, washington
Skip Cain, seattle, washington
Elaine Waller, Seattle Wachington
Bob & Diane Shrewsbury, Edmonds Washington
Rick & Carolanne Baccari, Seattle Washington
Contributions
“First Bird” to Woodland Park Zoo, for action. Brought in $3000.00
“Renewed” to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, for action. Brought in $1800.00