‘We’re all creatures struggling to be creative ─ anyone can do it.’

Watercolour artist Sabrina Shaw

Shaw’s watercolour art displays a wide variety of themes although each work

 seems to zero-in on the key subject matter. Here the artist talks about an
 abandoned truck, one of her more unanticipated paintings.

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Sabrina Shaw, who grew up in Waterville NB, is not only a mother of two who she home-schools but she also manages to find the time to create impressive art in watercolour. 

When she first took art classes, although she loved it, it was “frustrating because I didn’t know how to draw.” Well, there are books and other resources to overcome that problem and, quite evidently, she has.

Shaw is Artist of the Month at the Creek Village Gallery in downtown Woodstock NB where she will be honoured at a reception on Tuesday evening, September 8, 2015 along with pewter artisan Dora Boudreau of Atlantic Pewter and Glass.

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What sort of art training have you had, Sabrina?
As a child, I loved to do art. One day at school they said there was going to be an art class but it fell through. So I started with one of Rachel MacDonald's watercolour courses about ten years ago and then did beginner and advanced courses with Ann Kittredge. I have a passion to further my knowledge of art and see the difference that it makes in my work.

You home-school your own children. Is art part of the curriculum?
We do some drawing and there are art books that we discuss. They do much more music ─ guitar, piano, flute, voice ─ although we’re doing some art with acrylics now.

Sounds like a good balance. What are your thoughts about cut-backs in arts opportunities at public schools?
It’s a crime. When young people have an involvement with the arts in some form, it expands their mind and it helps them discover who they really are.

The more you study art and its values,
 the more you realize there’s 
a higher intelligence behind all this.

How would you describe your own style?
It’s a bit classic and all of it is fairly simple. Bright and cheerful. But I look at my work and sometimes wonder if they’re just pretty pictures. Art is really all about telling a story. So I’m open to experimenting and I’d like to get to the point where people recognize my style.

One thing that impresses me about your art is the way you seem to zero in on the subject.
I’m not really good at distance composition. But I love detail and I try to add a certain amount of looseness in the florals and architecture that are my favourite subjects. And, of course, I continue to learn.

One of two illustrations that Shaw contributed to a
new publication from the Creek Village Gallery. 
The 40-page book, printed on heavy paper, adds to the 
current craze for colouring books aimed at all ages and 
was 40 percent sold even before it was printed.

How does an artist go about pricing their own work?
It’s very subjective and that makes it hard but people do associate quality with price. But it’s not really about selling for most artists.

When did you first exhibit your work? And did you sell at that time?
The first time was at Paint the Heartland in 2009. Painting is competitive and I was nervous at first especially with all those people watching. But I sold three paintings and it was both thrilling and humbling.

That first step sounds quite magical.
Artists have a passion to produce something beautiful and that forces you into that place where you exhibit. You want to share but there’s a larger desire to have others validate your work.