Sharon Drew

Sharon Drew is a London-based artist whose process-based abstract paintings are a response to her experience and connection with the natural world. The work ranges from small to large-scale with a confident use of colour employing a variety of approaches. From diluted sweeping gestural brush strokes or scraped motifs to smooth rubbed back surfaces revealing older detailed layers, a fine line is navigated between risk and control. Her titles are often climate-referenced and she states … ‘Ponder, prime, plant, paint, planet … sums up a regular day.  As I make my way to the studio through our wildlife garden I’m pulled in both directions.  Things that grow can demand immediate straight-forward attention, however painting can take hours of indecision and false starts before getting into the flow. In this Climate Crisis nothing nothing can seem more important than to create a thriving ecosystem. However I also need to find refuge in painting, without the constraints of weather patterns, power and politics’

Drew experiments with different processes, exploring a range of aesthetic qualities that might be observed in nature such as rhythm and movement, texture and tone, colour and shifting light…. I’m fascinated to see how paint behaves, from holding a gestural brush stroke in the thinnest of wet paint to sanding and smoothing old layers revealing detailed patches of colour. I explore combinations that I hope will surprise me, the activity is a constant dance of directing, happy accidents and going with the flow. I’m seeking visual metaphors for the sensation of immersion in an environment rather than depicting a particular place. Having faith in experimentation and improvisation I aim to work in the moment and trust that from this process something new will emerge. Abstract art, as an invented visual language, offers a freedom of association and interpretation and I take much pleasure in others finding their own individual connections with my work.’

Drew’s paintings have been embraced by the world of fashion and interiors, used in shoots for Vogue, Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, Gucci Flora. Purchases include Locke am Platz Hotel, Zurich, Varley NYC & Dallas, Jigsaw St Pancras International. Published in magazines - Wallpaper, The World of Interiors and Elle Decoration. The New Statesman highlighted Drew's work in 2024 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London. Drew completed Fine Art MA at UAL Central Saint Martins in 2003 where she is now Mentor to Fine Art MA and BA students. Her work is in private collections in London, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Zurich, Bellagio and Grenoble.

V I D E O S

A collaboration between artist SHARON DREW and GUARDIANS OF WHITEWEBBS for a GREEN SKETCHING event at this stunning location under the awesome giant Redwoods WHITEWEBBS PARK, Enfield, North London. It is all about experiencing the landscape - drawing to really see and connecting with nature rather being concerned about artistic ability. The event is part of a campaign to save nature-rich Whitewebbs Park from industrial development. Thank you to Avid Beats for this video.