Artist Sharon Watts inherited from her mother a flair for the feminine and chic that she instills in her whimsical artwork. From small-town girl to “gal-about-town” Manhattan commercial artist, she has put her distinctive stamp on almost everything, from a weekly fashion illustration gig for The New York Times, to beauty campaigns for the big cosmetic companies, to China mugs and children’s books.
Working traditionally with pen and ink and watercolor, then a quick clean-up at the sink, Watts often has the company of her cats, Mi-ro and Tizzy, lending their “help.” She also sells “Prior-A-Tees,” distinctive, one-of-a-kind pillows made from vintage T-shirts, on her Dirndl Skirt Etsy shop. Part magpie, part archivist, she spends weekends in her Beacon garage-studio creating non-fashionable assemblage art with found objects.
Watts states: “I have been drawing fashionable young women, preferably with a soupçon (or more) of wit, forever. A career as a fashion designer eluded me (I flunked draping), so I stuck to art, and along the way have lent the swoosh of my brush stroke to city clients such as Henri Bendel, Macy’s, Escada, Burberry, and various magazines, book publishers, and ad agencies. My favorite client is me, hoping to please you.”
Enjoy a meal and a glass of wine amongst Watt’s paintings at Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill, 91 Main St., Cold Spring, 845-265-5582. All works available for sale through M. Studio Gallery, which represents the artist during this exhibition, on view through Sept. 14, 2014. Call 914-715-1913. See more of the artist’s work at sharonwatts.com.
Image courtesy of M. Studio Gallery
