For Sharon McCartney, art begins with the long time habit of collecting natural objects in forests, fields and meadows and along lake and ocean shores. McCartney was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moved to New England in 1983.  In 2005 she relocated to western Massachusetts to build a two-story studio surrounded by woodlands.  McCartney designed the studio with specific areas for painting, fiber collage, and artist books, as well as with a classroom where she prints her own collage materials and teaches workshops.

 

With a master’s degree in art history from Boston University, McCartney draws from the influences of both Asian and European art with natural themes. Her paintings, fiber pieces and artist’s books have been exhibited throughout United States, and have been included in museum, corporate, university and private collections.  Her work has been featured in several books, including: Mixed Media Collage and Altered Books, both by Holly Harrison (Rockport Publishers); 500 Handmade Books (Lark Publishers); and in the publications American Craft, Fiberarts, Somerset Studio, and Surface Design Journal, among others. 

 

McCartney co-founded Boston Book Arts and served as its coordinator for five years. She has also served on the board of The Fiber Arts Center in Amherst, MA, and on the Massachusetts Cultural Council in her town.  McCartney teaches workshops in collage, painting and book arts.