Magic Dusk :: Post-Impressionist Painting :: Connecticut Artist

“Magic Dusk” is a 9x12” acrylic painting on mixed media paper, and was painted on January 27, 2022.

“Magic Dusk” painting by Shannon Sorensen

My friend recently shared a photograph she took at the shoreline in her hometown, and the dusk hour made the sand, shells and rocks glow this warm, magical pink color. I knew I wanted to paint it!

I have challenged myself not to get boxed in to any one style - expressionism, abstract, or post-Impressionist - and to continue being playful and curious with color and mark-making.

A theme of my art is including metallic gold in all my pieces. I love the flicker of shine you get at various angles, and on a more personal level, it’s my nod to the art of kintsugi.

Kitsugi (translates to “golden joinery”) is “the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum…As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.” (Wikipedia)

When I learned about this art form, it was shortly after experiencing my pregnancy loss, and I felt connected to the idea immediately. Though I’m not mending pottery myself, the use of gold paint in my art signifies healing, repair, embracing imperfections, and shedding light on my “broken pieces” that are part of what makes me a whole person.

I love how this piece turned out, and it makes me want to find time this summer to go paint at the beach. The shoreline and ocean are endlessly inspiring.

Are there any beaches or coastal areas that you’d love to see painted?

Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoy seeing my art, learning about my process, and feel inspired to explore your own creativity!

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The World is Wide :: New Painting by Connecticut Artist

“The World is Wide”, a new post-impressionist dreamscape painting by Connecticut artist, Shannon Sorensen, inspired by Tolkien-esque fantastical landscapes that feel like a place we’ve known or seen. Within these worlds, great distances look close, new terrain and growth is revealed around every corner. Water flows and you’re not sure if you’re seeing fire or flowers.

 
 

Every time I am working on a painting, I reach a point where it needs to start taking shape and looking more finished. And some paintings progress quickly through this stage, while others, like this one, take a bit more time and work.

I started an 18x12” canvas painting on Monday, February 14, and it was full of warmth and felt very playful. The next day, I sat down again, and started adding some cooler tones, following the shapes and lines that I had established, and it felt good, but far from finished.

Over the next two days, I kept adding marks and layers, growing increasingly frustrated because I didn’t have any direction. At that point, I wanted to set it aside and give myself some time working on something new and fresh, because it was feeling overworked and stuck.

Evolution of a Painting

To store it in my small art space, I put a board up on my easel that another finished painting of the same dimension was still clipped to, and set the current piece under it while I figured out my storage solution.

I stepped back and just glanced at the two pieces lined up together on the board, blinked a couple times, and everything shifted.

One finished piece on top, displayed with this unfinished, overworked piece below it, it became clear to me that these two could and would work well together as a larger piece. The shapes started to make sense, and I was immediately excited to dig back into it again.

So here’s the finished piece, which I’ve called “The World is Wide”, inspired by Tolkien-esque fantastical landscapes that feel like a place we’ve known or seen. Within these worlds, great distances look close, new terrain and growth is revealed around every corner. Water flows and you’re not sure if you’re seeing fire or flowers.

The overall piece is 18” wide by 24” tall, two separate pieces of canvas attached and blended in the middle. I used acrylics, and both pieces of canvas were the last two pieces of recycled material that I had in my studio stash from another local artist.

Can you picture this in your home?

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Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoy seeing my art, learning about my process, and feel inspired to explore your own creativity!

Shannon Sorensen is a full-time painter working from her home studio in Newington, Connecticut. If you are interested in showing her art through your gallery, place of business, or event, please contact Shannon with your inquiry.