Family ties bind us all, but sometimes, those threads weave a tapestry more beautiful than one could have imagined. Such is the case with Sharon Carter, a Richmond artist whose creative spirit is heavily influenced by previous generations. “They appreciated very much everything that is beautiful, and they passed that on to me,” Sharon reminisces of her mother and grandmother.
Noticing the lovely was deeply ingrained in her as a child. “I enjoyed picking up and observing whatever I could that was beautiful around me—and sometimes not so beautiful, which is even more interesting,” she recalls. For eight decades, that balance between aesthetics has coursed through Sharon. It’s a trait she passed on to her daughter, Reece Camp Carter, who is also an artist.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the creative women woven into my family tree, especially my mom,” says Reece, who notes that mom Sharon went back to art school when her daughter was 6. “While she was learning, I was absorbing it right alongside her,” Reece notes.
Beyond that familial bond, they have something else in common: they’ve both won residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) for their different techniques. While Reece makes natural sculptures meant to deteriorate over time, Sharon works with various media, doing everything from large paintings on canvas to mixed media and cold wax pieces, called encaustic.
Armed with a degree in interior design from Virginia Commonwealth University, Sharon was exposed to various art techniques by working in the school’s Art Foundation Program. “Our assignments forced us to stretch by combining materials in new ways, creating unlikely results,” she says. Nowadays, she focuses on acrylic and watercolors, while dabbling with oils.
Art Immersion in Virginia
The VCCA Mt. San Angelo campus in Amherst sits at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is an application-based program for artists who stay on-site and enjoy concentrated time in dedicated studio spaces so they can focus on their art form full-time. The time there fed Sharon’s creativity and gave her a sense of community and confidence during her two-week immersion.
“The focused time at VCCA allowed me the privilege of concentrating on my art,” reveals Sharon, who is famously self-deprecating. “As I left the two-week studio experience, I finally summoned the courage to say, ‘I’m an artist.’” Being surrounded by supportive, like-minded people of varying ages, all at different points on their creative journey, was precisely what the experience was supposed to be: inspiring.
The healthy meals and spacious, well-lit rooms amid its 420-acre landscape all added to the experience, which also helped Sharon regain focus. Ordinarily, she confesses, “I just let things in my life interfere with focusing on my art.”
Her goal while at VCCA was to wrap up unfinished pieces. Readied with a roll of painter’s tape and a blank studio wall, she hung her once-abandoned projects and got to work, sometimes asking colleagues for feedback. After her time in residence was over, she was tearful to leave, especially after building relationships. But she had fulfilled her purpose and had completed projects in hand.
Sharon Carter adds color to a drawing from observation. During her recent residency at the VCCA’s Moulin à Nef campus in Auvillar, France, she gifted observational artworks to locals she met during her travels.
A Creative Life
According to her friends, Sharon is someone who simply thrives on creativity. Whether it’s her wardrobe, her art, her travel, her adventures, or her cooking, she’s always exploring new ideas.
She lives in a tiny cottage converted from a two-car garage, and so she doesn’t get bored with the way things are, she brings in brawn every six months to rearrange her three rooms. Becoming more and more content with the status quo often accompanies getting older—same routine, same wardrobe, same schedules. Sharon, on the other hand, isn’t remotely hesitant to throw out the old and bring in the new. She not only embraces but actually seeks out change.
Giving Back in France
After her time in Amherst, Sharon craved more, so she applied for the VCCA residency at the Moulin à Nef campus in Auvillar, France. One of four artists chosen, she completed the program in October, where resident artists are encouraged to leave their mark on the village of just under 1,000 residents.
While there, she worked outside, sketching the town and the people who live there. Finding them kind and friendly, Sharon often gave them whatever she was working on, especially if they stopped to speak. She says it was a way of giving thanks and leaving an impression—and a piece of herself—behind.
Mother/Daughter Thoughts on Shared VCCA Experiences
Sharon, on Reece:
“I watched her grow enormously and gain confidence at VCCA, and then I thought: I want to understand this even more,” says Sharon. Seeing that transformation gave Sharon the courage to apply. “VCCA has been the thread that has really been a wonderful binder for the two of us through arts,” she says. When asked if she thought the experience enhanced her relationship with Reece, without hesitation, she said, “Yes, no question—exclamation point, underline—yes!”
Reece, on Sharon:
“VCCA gave us time to focus on expanding our art practice,” she says. Although Reece typically keeps to herself, working on critiques with her mom has created a safe space, fostering an ongoing sense of community. “When one leaves the residency for the real world, it can feel like a loss of community,” says Reece. “That wasn’t true for me because I have my mom.”
This article originally appeared in the December 2024 issue.
