Sharon Christian (1950 – July 6, 2015; also known by her married name, Sharon Holmes) was a Canadian artist known for her paintings and sculptures, many of which document intimate encounters with nature. Christian developed a unique style "beyond realism" through which she advanced a number of themes including the tension between urban and natural environments, and the relationships between contemporary art (including music), historical traditions, and individual experience. Christian documented the changing landscape and demographics of Western Canada.

Early life

Christian was born in Alberta and was most active in Western Canada: in Calgary and West Vancouver. She studied at the University of Calgary and the

Alberta College of Art The Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) is a public art university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The university is a co-educational institution that operates four academic schools. The institution originated from the art departme ...

Career

Christian was elected into the Canadian Society for Painters in Water Colour in 1980, and showed regularly as a signature member in CSPWC shows. Three of Christian's pieces, acquired in 1977, 1984, and 1990, are included in the

Alberta Foundation for the Arts Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) is a crown agency charged with development and promotion of the arts in Alberta, Canada Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is par ...

: ''Summer Haze'' and ''A Time of Festivity'' (under her married name, Sharon Holmes), and ''Hitching up Barney and Big Boy''. Christian came to attention in the 1980s, with reviews by the art historian Brooks Joyner in the

Calgary Herald The ''Calgary Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Publication began in 1883 as ''The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate, and General Advertiser''. It is owned by the Postmedia Network. History ''The ...

and by Carol Fleming in the journal ''Arts West''. Joyner wrote: "Holmes’ paintings deal with rural artifacts as they are overcome by nature. She feels the earth reclaims her own, the elements and the seasons gather and enfold these discards, making them beautiful as they take on a patina of green, russet and gold.’ The art movement New Sincerity, dating to the early 1980s, was similarly concerned with breaking away from post-modern irony and cynicism. The artist was represented by the Masters Gallery and the Wallace Galleries, in Calgary. Under the name Holmes, the artist illustrated the book "Early prairie remedies" (the book was printed in two editions; the second reprinting was titled "The Pioneer Remedies"). Christian's 1992 exhibition at the Ferry Building Art Gallery in West Vancouver was the focus of a full episode of the nationally televised program Much West/Much Music, hosted by Terry David Mulligan. The last public exhibition during her lifetime was reviewed by Michela Garstin in 2013. Christian was selected by Maureen McTeer, the wife of the Canadian Prime Minister, to be part of a group of artists to promote Canadian art, reported by th
Zena Cherry, the society columnist
for ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

''. The artist's work was collected b
Norma Gibson
for the Corporate Collection of Gulf Canada Resources.

Death

Christian died of cancer on July 6, 2015.Christian died
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian, Sharon Artists from Alberta Canadian watercolourists 1950 births 2015 deaths Canadian women artists Canadian women sculptors Canadian contemporary painters Women watercolorists Alberta University of the Arts alumni