Since 1978, Sharon has studied the lettering arts and various related subjects.
Sharon began to create broadsides of poetry and quotations. These then lead to participation in art fairs and exhibits. At one such show, she met fellow artist Richard Hanse. Two years later, in 1984, they were married and Sharon moved to Barnesville, Ohio, where they now reside with their two cats - Milkshake and Gandalf the Gray, and numerous Toucan artifacts(no live ones).

Richard works as an all round maintenance/handy man and occasionally gets to work on some creative outlet. His latest creations are sculptures utilizing grinding stones once used in the Lotus Glass Company. Sharon and Richard collaborate on various projects. The latest is a line of ornaments- words that Sharon designs and Richard cuts out of wood.

Milkshake

Education:
Sharon has been studying art since high school. After graduating from high school,
she took art classes at The Cleveland Institute of Art and Cleveland Community College where she studied drawing, painting, and design and layout, to name a few.

In 1978 Sharon began a serious study of the art of Calligraphy. Her love of beautiful letter forms and words has led to the study of many related fields such as Illumination (Celtic Knotwork for example), Gilding, bookmaking, paper marbling, papermaking and experiments in acrylic paste technique and collage. She has also studied silk-screening and other printmaking techniques. All of these techniques have added great dimension to her work.

Sharon has been privileged to study with some of the finest calligraphers in the world. Among her teachers have been: Sheila Waters, Thomas Ingmire, Peter Thornton, John Stevens, Marsha Brady, Mark vanStone, Denis Brown, and Leanna Fay.

Inspiration:
Many beautiful works of literature have been written throughout the ages. Words that motivate, inspire, uplift, comfort, and touch the soul in some manner inspire Sharon. Using various media and her calligraphic skills, Sharon strives to present works of art that people will enjoy for years to come. It is hoped that these beautiful interpretations will entice others to read them and thereby be inspired and illuminated. The words chosen and the processes utilized form a network that enhances Sharon's own path to self-awareness and understanding.

Working Methods:
Each poem, quotation or saying is carefully studied in order to determine the best design and layout that will enhance and emphasize the meaning or interpretation of the text.

Letterstyles used to write the text are carefully selected so that they help to create this overall feeling. Each letter style (or font) has a personality which is capable of imbuing a certain feeling or impression. For example, stately Roman letters exude strength and formality while lively Italic letters are more lyrical and romantic.

The media used is also carefully selected. Gouache, watercolor, colored pencil,pastels, technical pens, and acrylic paint are used in conjunction with embossing techniques, paper cutting,gilding and printmaking techniques.

Sharon has been experimenting with Paste Paper Technique to create beautiful and interesting backgrounds. This technique utilizes acrylic paints mixed into a paste and applied to damp watercolor paper using a variety of tools to create shapes and designs. She is now applying this technique to canvas.

As focal points for some texts, collages are created using hand made paper, fiber, stones, paste paper and marbled paper (hand marbled by Sharon).

Works are presented as wall-hung art - either framed or as scrolls, and also as hand made books. Paper, wood and fabric are used as supports.

Each piece that Sharon creates has a design unique to itself. Some works are just text written on hand made paper with interesting contrasts of size and weight of lettering while others are elaborate layouts that resemble pages from illuminated manuscripts. Other designs have soft washes of watercolor, while still others may have detailed paintings of flowers or animals.

Studio:
Sharon's studio is in her home where she is the sole proprietor of Toucan Design. There, she works full time at her craft. She has been a self-employed artist since 1984. In addition to participating in Art Fairs across the eastern U.S., Sharon produces work on commission for individuals, organizations and businesses such as Abbey Press and Northwest Publishing.

Teaching Experience:
In order to promote the study of calligraphy, Sharon teaches at two local art centers and at The Cedar Lakes Craft Center in Ripley, WV. She also teaches workshops for the Marietta Calligraphy Society (of which she is a Member), and for other calligraphy guilds in the Midwest. For the past 8 years she has taught workshops to the guilds in Columbus, Ohio; Akron, Ohio; Huntington and Charleston, West Virginia; and Mansfield, Ohio.

In July of 2001, Sharon taught at the International Calligraphy Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.

Awards and Exhibitions
BEST OF SHOW - 1995 Townhouse Gallery Juried Exhibition, Sistersville, WV
MERIT AWARD - 1995 Arts'N Apples Art Fair, Rochester, MI
Exhibited in the International Calligraphy Exhibit at the Annual Calligraphy Conference, St. Mary's, MD
Invited to participate in and Exhibition of 100 of the world's best Calligraphers sponsored by the Western Reserve Calligraphers, Cleveland, Ohio
Exhibited in The Springfield Art Association Liturgical and Sacred Art 2000 Exhibition, Springfield, Illinois
Exhibited in Fourth Presbyterian Church Response to the Holy Exhibition, 2000, Chicago, Illinois
Solo Exhibit at West Liberty State College, West Liberty, West Virginia, September 2000
Solo Exhibit, Townhouse Gallery, Sistersville WV 2001
A special exhibit of her work will be presented at Artworks Around Town, Wheeling WV in August 2006

Art Fairs:
Sharon's artwork can be seen at various Art Festivals throughout the Midwest. Some of the shows she has participated in are listed below. Please see the Schedule page for a list of this year's festivals.

Some of the art fairs Sharon has participated in are:
Arts 'N Apples, Rochester, MI
Black Swamp Art Festival, Bowling Green, Ohio
Broad Ripple Art Festival, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, Indiana
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College, PA
Chautauqua Art Festival, Chautauqua Institute, Chautauqua, New York
Christkindl Markt,, Canton Museum of Art, Canton, OH
Columbus Winterfair, Ohio Fairgrounds, Columbus, OH
Lakewood Art Festival, Lakewood, Ohio
Guildford Art on the Square, Guilford Connecticut
Shaker Square Craft Fair, Shaker Square, Cleveland, Ohio
Stowe Foliage Festival Stowe, Vermont
Rhinebeck Art Festival Fairgrounds, Rhinebeck, New York
Talbot Street Art Fair, Talbot Street,Indianapolis, Indiana
Upper Arlington Art Festival, Upper Arlington City Park (Columbus), Ohio
Wonderful World of Ohio Mart, Akron,Ohio