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EDITOR’S NOTE: WestVirginiaVille last featured Mountain State artist Sharon Lyn Stackpole in an October ‘5 Things’ post, which included her vibrant portrayal of Autumn. Then, we ran a touching illustration about why drawing was so essential to a young girl’s soul, plus another ‘5 Things’ appearance depicting a Covid Queen. I’m always glad to see her art’s frequent appearance on her Twitter timeline. I asked if she would send me a folder of favorites I might turn into a musical showcase. Below is the result. Sharon is a clinical mental health counseling graduate student at Marshall University, a disability advocate, and writer, as well. See more of her work at sharonlyn.com
Sharon Lyn Stackpole on Her Work
The works shown in the video are all either watercolor or ink. Some have some digital effects. I tend to use females as my subject matter. My work is usually autobiographical. I use the human figure because it is expressive. I work in other mediums sometimes— clay, glass, textiles. But, for now, I’m using watercolor and ink because it’s immediate.
I journal every day (writing) and then draw to supplement that. For me, just words have never been enough to describe my thoughts and feelings. I’ve always been this way. When I was a kid, and I had notebooks for school, I always went right through them with drawings and observations instead of for schoolwork.
I need to be able to process everything all of the time. I always had a female character in my drawings either in illustration form or comic and I’d have her acting out whatever I was also living in my drawings. For some reason, this was reassuring and helped me to feel less alone. It also helped me to understand it all as well. Drawing is still a useful way for me to unwind and process.
See more of Sharon Lyn Stackpole’s artistry at sharonlyn.com and this 2016 profile of her in Longridge Review.
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3 Comments
admin
“Milkwood” by The Cabinetmaker on Blue Dot Sessions! Will add it to the story.
admin
Oops. Sorry, forgot that. It is a song called “Milkwood” from a royalty-free music service I use. Once I track down the artist, I will add it.
Errol Hess
Music credit for the artist’s pictures?