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.”
Sharone studied the anthropology of mental health at the New School as well as trained at various theater conservatories.
Sharone Halevy’s work is currently represented in collections in New York to LA, Israel, London, Canada, South Africa, and Australia.
Shop Sharone Halevy at Newel
Sharone Halevy Contemporary Abstract Oil on Canvas, Titled: “As a Teen on the C Train I Would Listen to Man of La Mancha and SGT. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band on my Yellow Walkman”
Sharone Halevy Contemporary Abstract Oil on Canvas Triptych, Titled: “I Eat Cheerios…Thinking Of You…As The Fog Rolls In”
Sharone Halevy Contemporary Abstract Oil on Canvas, Titled: “Have you seen the pigeons that have taken over 96th and Broadway?!”
Sharone Halevy Contemporary Abstract Charcoal, Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Canvas, Titled: “To See You in Your Hat Sitting Across From Me, Is the Most Incredible View” (2024)
Our Interview with Sharone Halevy
What inspired you to become an artist, and what motivated you to pursue this career path?
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.
Do you have a favorite artist and why?
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.
How would you describe your creative process, and what techniques or mediums do you enjoy using the most?
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.
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?
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.
Can you share a specific project or piece that you are particularly proud of, and what makes it meaningful to you?
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.
What was the first project you worked on?
I made a large drawing in Sharpie of a woman lying down. But over time, the ink started to fade in the sunlight. Because it was already ruined, I decided to paint over it in acrylic for no other reason than I wanted to. I fell in love with the feel of the paint and things just kind of took off from there!
What do you like to do in your free time/ outside of work?
Read. I read A LOT. I love fiction, cozy fantasy, historical fiction, sometimes non-fiction. But reading is my safe haven. It relaxes me and energizes me. It inspired me to go out into the world and see things, travel, paint, etc.
How would you define your work in three words?
Empathetic, engaging, fluid.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An astronaut who performs in space.
