Sharen Johnston

Born in 1961 in Winnipeg Manitoba, to an artist and homemaker Mom, and a Dad who was a mechanic for the big planes in the Canadian Air Force, I have worked as an artist since I was a tiny child. My funny eccentric Moms' art inspired me to paint as soon as I could hold brushes. I spent many a blissful afternoon covered in daubs of colour! As a slightly older child in Germany where we were stationed, I visited cathedrals and castles, where I experienced the light of ancient, mysterious, stained glass Rose Windows. I never forgot that amazing wash of brilliant coloured light. As an adult, in 1996 I studied at Emily Carr College of Art and Design, where I learned my skills in design and drawing to build the unique pieces I make now. At the University of Victoria, I studied psychology, then trained as an art therapist. I used those skills as an art therapist, working with patients until finally, in 1998, while recovering from a life changing injury, I rediscovered my passion for stained glass. I was drawn to stained glass as a material which by its nature is uplifting and illuminating. My personal style is loose interpretive and organic. I am prone to leaps of faith without a safety net, so while I was healing, I challenged myself to make structured pieces to learn discipline. During that 5 year healing period, I learned to pace myself, teaching myself basic techniques, then learning more advanced three dimensional crafting and assembling techniques as a piece worker. Now I build and engineer custom three dimensional boats, precise exacting work, all exploration confined to designing different styles of precise boats. I enjoy the discipline but at times it is a bit creatively stifling. To balance that precision, to bring joy and laughter to people, I make critters, out of stained glass, wire and silver solder and copper foil with funny little faces, poseable and cute. I express my metaphysical side by making symbolic pieces, tree of life circular panels and unique creative interpretations of earth symbolism and abstract panels created by placing a single cut piece of glass against another piece until a whole panel gradually grows organically into a panel of my own design. Thank you for taking the time to be drawn into my world.