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?

Prints and other home decor, lifestyle, stationary and accessories are available here.

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.

January Recap :: New Art and Paint With Me on YouTube

Why does January always feel like it stretches out forever? I know it’s not everyone’s favorite month, but I do always look forward to this time of year. I enjoy settling into a more quiet rhythm of life. It feels like a non-stop marathon of THINGS TO DO between the start of school in early September through the flurry of the holidays. Time stretches out a bit wider and further in front of us through January. It might make you feel a bit restless. I invite you to settle into it.

Find Your Sacred Flow

I love that this is the card I pulled today. Finding your sacred flow can mean a lot of things . For me, it means finding my pace of creating art, my pace of living, and honoring it. My sacred flow is slower than it used to be. It’s more flexible and lighthearted. It’s more playful. It’s allowing the creativity to flow through me, through art, through my words, and trusting that I don’t have to know where I’m going at all times.

This means…

Trusting my intuition.

Growing more comfortable with saying no.

Committing to my art and making time to play, explore and evolve.

Enjoying being myself, as I am in any moment, be it serious, silly, thoughtful, sad, curious, introverted, extroverted, energetic, sleepy…

I’m done with fighting against the current of my soul. I am moving with it, embodying my whole self, and enjoying the ride.

January Recap

For a slower month, January was full of good things. It started with prepping and hanging 12 pieces of art at Balance Massage and Wellness Center here in Newington, CT. My art will be on display there through the end of March 2022.

Click through to see the virtual gallery:

I made four new pieces of art that I am in love with for many different reasons. I painted my first big painting, which is 24”x36”. I made a new digital artwork for the first time since last June. Then I painted two smaller pieces, two days in a row. Each piece woke up something new and exciting in me. I am finding my style and voice as an artist, which is an incredible feeling.

Click on each image to pop out and see bigger:

I hit record last week on my 4th painting, and got a new process video up on YouTube! I was hoping to do this with my big painting, but I wasn’t well prepared for how long the painting would take and how to capture that scale of a project. So I’m taking baby steps back into the painting video world, instead of biting off more than I can chew at this point. I hope you give it a watch, subscribe, and hit the thumbs up! I plan to do these at least every other week going forward.

In addition to all of that, I am planning on a shop update later this week, as I have about 16 new pairs of painted earrings almost ready to go! So keep an eye out for the date and time, which I’ll share across my social feeds, and get ready to shop some wildly funky new pieces!

Thanks for catching up with me here! Wherever you are, I hope you have a beautiful week!

Shannon Sorensen is a self-taught contemporary abstract expressionist painter based in Newington, Connecticut, specializing in vibrant artwork that evokes feelings of places you have seen in person or in dreams, inspired by music, poetry, memories and meditations. Fine art prints of select works are available through her art store, and shop other printed home goods and accessories at Pixels.com.

Follow more of Shannon’s day to day creative living on Instagram.

Check out painting and creative living videos on Youtube.

October Art Challenge Day One :: Connecticut Artist and Photographer

Pin and share the love.

Pin and share the love.

Happy October!

I’m going to channel my inner Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford when I sing IT’S THE BEST TIME OF THE YEEEAR!

Fall brings all sorts of monthly art, writing, photography or otherwise creative challenges, and they tend to pop up this time of year, no doubt, because it is a time where inspiration and creativity flow. The air is cooling, people start thinking cozy thoughts about what makes them happy. And spoiler alert, creativity is a shortcut to happiness. ;)

I was looking for an October art challenge, but I wasn't drawn to anything (heh...), and when I thought about it for a minute, my art tends to be off the cuff, whatever is inspiring me in the moment. The challenge for me isn't following a list of ideas, but just the act of creating something new every day. I'm feeling more called than ever to create, create, create.

So, this month, I invite you to join me as I draw, paint, and make something every day! I will do live videos or first looks each day on my Patreon’s private Facebook group. It will be 31 days of pure creativity...I'm so excited for this. And I encourage you to find time to create, just for yourself, this month!

I began yesterday with some watercolor because I've had an image that’s been inspiring me. It was a bouquet of nasturtiums and the colors were golden, reds and really vibrant.

Floral Harvest 1.jpg

Buy a print here.

October is also my birthday month, and a time when I feel most inspired, and my creativity flows in abundance. It’s a season when I feel most connected with myself and motivated to paint, draw, crochet, or work on other creative projects like cooking, playing the piano, writing and decorating my home to make it a cozy, happy space.

This is my painting from yesterday, day one. I am loving this start to the month and wish you could see it in person. The darker pigments have this smooth sheen that catches the light *just right*.

Today for day 2, I drew the October coloring page that I do each month in a live drawing session for my Patreon page. My group members voted and the design is cozy fall Hygge themed. If you join my Patreon, you receive the monthly page free as a reward!

You can join my Patreon group anytime, and get to tune in and watch me create these pieces live each day. Like I said, today’s (day two) creation will be the monthly coloring page, which you also then receive as a member to be able top print and enjoy coloring.

Finally, friends, I want to I encourage you to let your own creativity flow. Make time each day to do what you love! Share it, celebrate it...you might be the spark that inspires someone else!

 
October Art Challenge Connecticut Artist Shannon Sorensen Watercolor Painting