Sharon Mark  Golden School Days 18634  30 x 40 Inches   Acrylic $2470 Framed Country Paradise 19833  14 x 18 Inches   Acrylic $795 Framed Blossoms 1019341  5 x 7 Inches   Acrylic Sold Flowers and Friends 19351  12 x 10 Inches   Acrylic $565 Framed A Winter Evening 18334  10 x 12 Inches   Acrylic $565 Framed Lilac Lane 19347  10 x 8 Inches   Acrylic Sold Snowy Day 19342  5 x 7 Inches   Acrylic $295 Framed Frosty 19346  7 x 9 Inches   Acrylic $455 Framed Fall Fun 18332  12 x 6 Inches   Acrylic $445 Framed Cozy Country 19074  6 x 8 Inches   Acrylic $340 Framed Autumn Day 19072  7 x 5 Inches   Acrylic Sold Enchantment and surprise. These are frequent reactions to Sharon Mark’s work. Mark, introduces herself as a painter of naïve art.One glance at her paintings soon confirms that she belongs to this very school of artists. Who exactly are these artists? More or less consciously, they capture their surroundings in a fresh, spontaneous way, as if through a child’s eyes. Their vision of the world often betrays a deep need to preserve what still exists or once existed; in other words, to establish a sense of permanence in daily life. The creator of naïve art expresses that need in paintings that transport us to places now little known or, rather, known to a previous generation. The reputation of this art form grows with every passing year. Thanks to the some visionary gallery owners who display naïve art, sales of works by both Canadian and foreign artists keeps rising. Sharon Mark’s paintings draw upon a rich imagination plus her knowledge and love of country life. Several works give a bird’s eye view of villages and towns that she has known; these are not landscapes, but rather composites of enduring, crisp memories. She prefers acrylics on canvas or hardboard. Her drawing is clean, her colours, bright. The details stand out, while the viewers eye travels easily over the levels and many details that make up the work, for example; house, trees, paths, and characters. Mark’s works exude a quiet happiness. There is serenity rather than mystery. Frank and fresh, her works reach the goal of naïve art. She tries to make others enjoy and share her vision, her optimism and inner joy. Born in Ormstown, in 1955, Sharon Mark grew up surrounded by the countryside of southwestern Québec. A self-taught artist, Sharon enjoys painting tranquil country scenes, often with people and animals in a naive scene. Her paintings influenced by farmlands,apple orchards,streams and old stone houses evoke a nostalgic emotion, often portraying the happy sunny scenes with innocent children at play.She joined a group of artists in the Hemingford region and has had her works exhibited since 1986. Since 1992, Sharon Mark's work has been permanently displayed in galleries across Canada. As Arthur Villeneuve a naive painter from Québec’s Saguenay region, once said: “Our eyes are too often open, to keep them shut.” Fortunately, artist Sharon Mark never shuts hers. Her art is notable for the delicacy of its brushstrokes. Mark achieves the serene effect of her work through a painstakingly methodical approach. Artist Biography Sharon Mark - An Idyllic Imagination Sharon Mark was born in the village of Ormstown, Quebec, about 60 kilometers southwest of Montreal. She presently lives in Hemmingford, Quebec, 40 kilometers east of Ormstown, near the New York border. When she was young, Mark watched her grandmother paint the pictures that decorated the family home. She still has many of these paintings from her childhood and continues to draw inspiration from them. That she has eclipsed her grandmother’s talent is evident but we can see the source that has nurtured her self-taught career. Sharon Mark has never formally studied art, though she has been painting for over two decades. Her technique has matured through constant application over the years. She has broadened her scope to reflect a vision that is less detail oriented but more harmonious in its totality. Her style is now more realistic and her palette has grown richer and deeper. She prefers to paint invented rather than real landscapes, sticking to a style with which she feels at ease. Among her favour artists are Grandma Moses and Maud Lewis. Mark’s painting is almost childlike in its simplicity. She follows the tradion established by “Le Douanier”, Henri Rousseau. She finds herself identified as one of Quebec’s naïve artists, in the company of others such as Yves du Poirier, Genevieve Jost and Arthur Villeneuve. The beauty of her native southern Quebec countryside feeds Sharon Mark’s passion to paint. Her subject matter is drawn from the association of a happy rural childhood. Houses, barns, children at play, cats and dogs, snowmen, sleighs, are common elements, all set in pristine landscapes. Viewed as a whole rather than with the eye focused on detail, her paintings exude a sense of comfort and well being. Summer scenes do not figure prominently in Mark’s oeuvre. She prefers to depict the cooler, more muted seasons: autumn, winter, early spring. This preference is reflected in her palette, which is dominated by blues, browns and white. Her art is notable for the delicacy of its brushstrokes. Mark achieves the serene effect of her work through a painstakingly methodical approach. Using fine brushes, not a leaf or a brick escapes meticulous representation. She favours the effect of a foreshortened perspective and her preferred medium is acrylic on canvas. Sharon Mark’s studio is unique among those of the artists we have visited. Everything is impeccably organised. The tubes of paint are capped, there are no rags in sight, no empty pots, and not a stray spot of paint to be found. The studio is neater than most houses and its floor is covered with quality carpeting. There is no sense of creative cataclysm. This orderliness and sense of calm is mirrored in Mark’s painting. Her art hangs on the walls, echoing her grandmother’s influence. Her work was first exhibited at Jeannine Blais’ gallery in North Hatley, Quebec in the early 1990’s. Soon after launching her career, Mark chose to be represented by the Multi Art agency of St-Lambert, who to this day act on her behalf. Her canvases, depicting idyllic rural settings, are very popular with the general public. She produces roughly one hundred paintings a year, in various sizes, and most of her work finds eager buyers. In 2006 Mark had two solo exhibitions, one at the Balcon d’art in St-Lambert, and another at the Galerie du Parc in Chelsea, Quebec. Robert Lafontaine, Magazin'art, Summer 2007, no. 76  $1 Shipping anywhere in Canada with internet purchase of original artwork Buy for yourself or a friend and we insure, package and deliver for $1