Sheila Grant
Prior to my life as an artist, I was a social worker. Social work entails understanding and exploring emotions, which is what ultimately led me to art. Art, in my view, is emotions coming into the world in another form for oneself and others. My process as an artist is deeply personal. It explores my inner, wordless dialogue and feelings, and uses the canvas as a visual record of that process. The creative process serves as a vehicle for reflection and transformation, allowing what is within to flow outside and onto the canvas. My medium of choice has changed over time but a consistent theme in all my work is emotional expression, energy and the exploration of mood through color.
I am drawn to abstraction in my painting because it omits form and representation, thereby removing our tendency to categorize. Color, texture, and movement take over as the avenue of expression. I use techniques of layered color blocking, fluid paint methods, and controlled textured mediums to engender vibrancy and a sense of viscosity to the work.