“Using bold colors and strong lines, I create larger-than-life contemporary realism paintings that ignite a love affair between Photorealism and Pop Art.”
Born in Richmond, Virginia during the 1960s, Sharon Guyton Lalik was surrounded with pop culture. Advertisements were running full throttle on television screens, in magazines, and on enormous billboards. Sensationalized products in all their glitz and glamour were on display. Experiencing summers on Virginia Beach’s ad covered boardwalk during her early teenage years, Sharon fantasized about creating the artwork that adorned these venues. Soon after, drawing consumer culture icons became her favorite pastime.
After being accepted into Virginia Commonwealth University’s Communication Arts and Design program, Sharon believed her dreams of becoming a professional artist was coming true. Feeling a little overwhelmed her freshman year, she stumbled upon the book, Photorealism by Louis K. Meisel. Within its pages, she learned of artists that were creating paintings of mundane cultural objects in a photorealistic style; this intrigued her. Three years into her studies, Sharon had a tragic car accident which left her drawing hand broken in several places. Interior design was her fallback. As years passed, Sharon’s passion for drawing and painting never wavered. She painted on the side, still adoring the larger-than-life artwork she witnessed during her childhood.
Joining a local gallery in 1997, Sharon decided to give up her interior design business and devote herself to her art. Revisiting Meisel’s book Photorealism, Sharon decided to travel to New York to see the inspiring artwork that had opened her eyes to a different way of painting her favorite subjects. Charles Bell, Ralph Goings, Tom Blackwell, and Audrey Flack were a few of the artists that graced the walls of the Louis K. Meisel Gallery. “Looking at those masterpieces at that very moment in time, my heart knew the direction of my artistic vision,” said Sharon. In addition, Pop artist Andy Warhol influenced Sharon’s bold color choices and hard-edged lines in her paintings.
Over time Sharon’s paintings started to carry more of a personal meaning. Some of these same objects have taken on a sensual playfulness. Her paintings have an eye for detail and a unique blend of Contemporary Realism touched by the vibrancy of Pop art. Each commonplace object is unique as a fingerprint; therefore, each is painted to celebrate it “living” in one moment in time.
For over 25 years, Sharon Guyton Lalik has been a professional artist. She is a long standing member of the prestigious International Guild of Realism. Her work has been chosen for the Illusion of Reality Museum Tour and Masterworks Museum Tour. Her artwork have been collected by art lovers around the world. Her paintings have been exhibited in museums and upscale galleries all over the United States.
Sharon Guyton Lalik’s paintings capture the pleasure of childhood, a sweet treat, or a tempting glass of wine after a long day.
“Celebrating the simple things in life − one painting at a time.”
SHARON GUYTON LALIK 