Seascapes Capturing Light and Life
Creativity is a quality best nurtured through play. Climbing trees one moment and lavishing her dolls with motherly affection the next, little Sharon Goodenough was a delightful bundle of contradictions: quiet and bold, shy but stubborn, confident yet cautious.
“I loved collecting things, caterpillars, keyrings, and dandelion seeds, the kind you blow to make a wish,” Sharon recalls. “My mum told me they were fairies, so I built them a tiny mud house behind the garden shrubs, complete with a sofa. Whenever I caught one drifting on the wind, I’d gently place her inside.”
Gifted with a sensitive soul, Sharon’s early fascination with nature and her rich childhood tapestry of curiosity, tenderness, and fearless independence laid the foundation for her creative journey. “I didn’t call myself an artist then, but in many ways, I already was. I was captivated by magic painting books, those black-and-white pages that bloomed into colour with just a touch of water,” she confides. “I was learning to notice beauty, to connect deeply with what I saw, and to follow the spark of imagination. It’s the same spark I follow now when I paint.”
“I didn’t call myself an artist then, but in many ways, I already was.”
As a teen, Sharon studied art and photography, eventually working as a photographer’s assistant and technician, and later as a make-up artist. A stint in financial sales in her twenties proved stable but creatively unfulfilling, though the experience gave her the valuable discipline and professional skills needed to grow as an artist.
It took many years for Sharon to embrace painting full time, finally accepting art as her true path just when life invited a gentle shift. “I became a full-time artist after navigating the storm of perimenopause, which challenged me physically, emotionally, and spiritually,” Sharon shares. “Creating became my lifeline. Through painting, I found a way to reclaim my mind. The act of mixing colours, laying down texture, and letting my hand follow the emotion rather than the plan, grounded me and has become my meditation.”
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Photo by Abi Moore.
“Love, especially self-love is the foundation of creativity. When you meet yourself with compassion, you unlock your voice. You take risks. You get playful. ”
She rediscovered art as a source of healing. “It gave me something to hold onto when everything felt uncertain. I wasn’t painting to impress or sell. I was painting because it made me feel more me than anything else,” she says. What followed was a second defining moment: the decision to stop hiding her art and begin sharing it online, accompanied by thoughtful and deeply personal captions.
Next came exhibitions, art sales and the co-authoring of two collaborative books on the value of creativity. “The books pushed me to reflect deeply on how creativity, self-expression, and healing are all intertwined. They helped me step out of the shadows and own the fullness of who I am, not just as an artist, but as a woman with a voice, a story, and something to give,” Sharon explains, referring to Radical Self-Love and Radical Freedom, books that encourage women to reconnect with themselves through creativity, while breaking free from limiting beliefs and self-imposed constraints. “Love, especially self-love is the foundation of creativity. When you meet yourself with compassion, you unlock your voice. You take risks. You get playful. You stop waiting for permission. And through that process, you discover a kind of power that no one can give you and no one can take away,” Sharon notes.
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The sea, with its sparkling blue hues and crisp, roaring waves, together with the lush surrounding landscape, provides both energy and immense relaxation. It offers the clearest path to self-connection, while simultaneously inspiring lasting memories and a dynamic feeling of being truly alive.
“The sea feels like part of me; it’s part of all of us. It’s not just a view I admire; it’s something I feel in my body and sense of self,” says Sharon, who grew up vacationing on the British coast, particularly in Devon and Cornwall.
For Sharon, the beach also represents fun, freedom, and living in untamed, perpetual evolution. “It wasn’t about doing anything in particular—although rock pools fascinated me—but about playing in the rhythm of the tide and watching the ever-changing light on the water. I think that’s why my work is so deeply tied to the sea. I’m not just painting a place, I'm painting a feeling,” Sharon says.
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If I could dream. Oil on canvas.
Sharon’s luminous seascapes are as soothing as they are invigorating. Rich in texture and vibrant tones, they immediately draw the eye. Perhaps the most striking elements are the touches of light that run down the center of several of her paintings as seen in Constantine Calling, Beyond Horizons, and Love Is, instantly imparting tranquility to admirers. “The light in my paintings is intentional. It often appears as a soft vertical highlight through the horizon or the sea, almost like a portal, a moment of clarity. It’s a visual cue to come back to yourself, to pause, to breathe,” Sharon explains, adding that her paintings are not just about aesthetics but also about hope and the realization that you’ve come through difficult times, emerging stronger, wiser, and maybe even a bit softer.
Her treescapes, too, echo the sea. Her silver birch trees conjure images of washed-up driftwood, highlighting nature’s interconnectedness. “It’s not planned, but the influence of the coast is deeply embedded in my visual language. It’s just how I feel colour,” says Sharon. “For me, painting is never just about the subject—it’s about the energy it carries. Whether I’m painting waves or woodlands, I’m always seeking a feeling: calm, resilience, and a deep sense of belonging. Nature expresses these qualities so beautifully, and trees and the sea are two of my most powerful muses.”
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Constantine Calling. Oil on canvas.
“The light in my paintings is intentional. It often appears as a soft vertical highlight through the horizon or the sea. It’s a visual cue to come back to yourself, to pause, to breathe.”
The artist, who is far more interested in mood and feeling than precision, describes her style as somewhere between impressionism and realism, often featuring a mix of blues, whites, and taupes. “I want brushstrokes, palette, and texture to speak, to carry emotion and movement,” Sharon says. Her paintings are detailed enough to evoke a sense of place, yet open enough to allow the viewers to connect and interpret the artwork in ways that resonate with their own experiences.
Favouring oil paint, she delights in its richness, softness, and the potential it offers for expressing layered depths. Palette knives, rags, and brushes enable her to push and pull the paint further, working it until it captures a moment and begins to embody a story.
Sharon’s work has been displayed in galleries across the UK and internationally. She recently exhibited at Royal Windsor Flower Show in Windsor Great Park, set amidst its floral splendour and attended by its patron, HRH King Charles III. She is currently showing her work in Ascot and in Eton, near Windsor. Her enthralling seascapes have found homes with both new and returning collectors.
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Beyond Horizons. Oil on canvas.
She also sells her work online through her website and offers delightful extras to her email subscribers, including exclusive previews, early access, complimentary exhibition tickets, and behind-the-scenes updates. “It’s where I share the stories behind each piece and connect more personally with those who resonate with my work,” says Sharon, who is also exploring collaborations with like-minded interior designers and wellbeing practitioners who want to incorporate nature-inspired art into their spaces.
Sharon has no regrets about beginning her artistic journey later in adulthood, only gratitude for having found the courage to embark on this fresh path. “The transition wasn’t one single spark but a slow-burning fire I could no longer ignore. The tragic loss of a close family friend taken too young, and witnessing how quickly a diagnosis could lead to passing, reminded her of how fragile life truly is. This, along with her resolve to honor her creative instincts without waiting for approval ultimately led to her decisive shift. “It wasn’t easy, but it was the most aligned thing I’ve ever done. Becoming a full-time artist in midlife felt like reclaiming a part of me that had been patiently waiting. Now, every painting, collection, and connection is proof that it’s never too late to follow what lights you up,” Sharon says.
Sharon’s vibrant paintings breathe beauty and capture the light found in life’s shifting tides, while infusing homes with soothing luxury. She draws inspiration from nature walks with her beloved dogs, travels to new places, and the warmth of family and home, translating these experiences into images that reflect vibrancy, calm renewal, and the joy of life’s simplest pleasures.
To connect, visit Sharon Studio Art or follow on Instagram and Facebook for updates and inspiration.
TEXT BY FATIMA RIZZO
ART PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHARON GOODENOUGH