Sharone Halevy is an American artist, director and teacher based in NYC.
Building on the American school of Abstract expressionism Halevy is exploring surface
treatment of the canvas whilst referring to her background in the theaters through vibrant color
compositions and poetic reflections. The paintings are influenced by people’s stories,
inspirations and hopes, and sound is foundational to the process. Halevy views her work as a
play of memory; “ I find our memories to be unreliable in many ways. We may not remember
every detail, color, or what was said, but what tends to stick with us is how we felt during that
experience. That is what I try to capture. No matter how big or small of a memory or thought. I
love bringing those feelings to life through languid explosions of color and texture”.
It was in 2014 that Halevy started painting. As Sharon states; “I was completely self taught. I
wanted to work through and explore what I was experiencing in a tactile way and painting
opened something up within me that was vulnerable yet expressive. It felt like a way to turn a
moment in my life into something beautiful. I created my first abstract work completely by
accident, posted it to Instagram, and received my first commission.”
Trained at the Maggie Flannigan Studio and the Atlantic Theatre Company Conservatory,
Halevy has worked with several companies including The Atlantic Theater Company, The
Public, Roundabout, The York, and Crashbox, while also developing new work with companies
like the The Musical Theatre Factory, New York Musical Theater Festival, 5th Floor Theater, St
Ann’s Warehouse and more. Sharone Halevy’s work is currently represented in collections in
New York to LA, Israel, London, Canada, South Africa, and Australia.
Q
What inspired you to become an artist, and what motivated you to pursue this career path?
A.
I have always been a creative person. Ever since I was a kid, I would paint, sew, silk screen, sing, act, dance- truly, if It was in the arts I would do it. Becoming a visual artist was never on my radar. I was primarily a theater director, but one day missed working with my hands more directly. So, I just started panting and connected to it in a way I was not expecting. I didn’t want to let go of my collaborative side, so decided to primarily become a commission based painter and get to bring the stories of those around me to life.
Q
Do you have a favorite artist and why?
A.
This is so hard,
because I deeply love Joan Mitchell AND Helen
Frankenthaler, but let’s go with Helen. From the moment I went to see her works, I fell in love with how rich and deep
they are. I always found work like Rothko (who is another
color field painter) to be alienating. But Frankthenthalters
work brings you into her world. I just find my breath is taken away whenever I stand in front of one of her pieces, and her use of color is just something I connect to on a visceral level.
Q
How would you describe your creative process, and what techniques or mediums do you enjoy using the most?
A.
As mentioned, I am a storyteller first and foremost. I
cannot create without knowing what emotion I am trying to capture in response to a story. It can be something deep, meaningful – a large life moment like a wedding, or a death, but it can also be silly. One of my favorite works is called “I’d Keep Flowers In My Kitchen But My Cat Would Eat Them” Once I have the inspiration of the painting, it’s all following my gut and intuition. I cannot preplan my work. It is actually
impossible for me. Plus, I paint to sound. When collaborating with a client they get to provide me with what I listen to. I have been lucky to learn so much new music over my years as a painter. For materials, I primarily work in Acrylic. I love the quickness of it. But over the years I have been experimenting with staining canvases with watered down acrylic, sometimes staining the back of a canvas to see what will come through on the other side and then work from there.
Q
What themes or messages do you hope to convey through your art, and what kind of emotions do you want your audience to experience when they view your work?
A.
To me, it’s all about knowing that no moment is too
small. I want my works to take anything and make it big and
beautiful. A memory or a thought can stick with us, even if we don’t know why, but it does, and that is what I hope to capture. I am not looking to change the world, but I do want to make it a little more beautiful.
Q
Can you share a specific project or piece that you are particularly proud of, and what makes it meaningful to you?
A.
A few years ago, a couple had commissioned a painting from me to honor their love story. They wanted all the colors to reflect the Scandinavian tour they did for their honeymoon as well. I learned the husband had gotten through cancer treatment. It seemed he was past the worst of it. About six months later, I received an email from the wife and she let me know Craig went into the hospital suddenly and passed away a week later. She wrote to emphasize that our painting collaboration was the last
project they got to do together, and how meaningful it was to
them. And how having those paintings make her feel less
alone, that he is still there with her in the home they built.
Just before he passed he had asked for commissions to be
gifted to his siblings as well. I cannot express enough how
meaningful this was to me. It was a deep reminder as to why
I paint, and paint the way I do. I ended up getting a tattoo on
my arm in the shape of their commission as a reminder to
never lose site of who I am as an artist and why art is deeply
important in the personal ways it connects us to our own
histories.
Q
How do you stay inspired and motivated, and what advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out?
A.
I think it is less about staying inspired and more about
letting inspiration surprise you. It can be exhausting to be an artist in today’s world. We constantly feel like we need to
create something new, something inspired, something that will change the world or make us famous. But to me, art is a conversation that someone can choose to have or walk away from. So, what I offer to someone just starting out:
Paint what you want to delve into and talk about. You never
know what someone will connect to or find meaning in. You don’t need your work to explain anything- just create from what is presented to you in the world and see where it takes you.
Q
What was the first project you worked on?
A.
Q
What do you like to do in your free time/ outside of work?
A.
Q
How would you define your work in three words?
A.
Q
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
