A Handful of Pebbles: Artist spotlight on Sharon Nowlan

Pictou is a charming, old seaside town in Nova Scotia, Canada; home to people who fish, farm, sing, dance and hang their clothes outside to dry. It’s a friendly place centered around community and family.

This is where artist Sharon Nowlan grew up drawing, painting and creating in a variety of media. The spirit of Pictou’s diverse landscapes and welcoming residents flows through her serene work — a mix of items found in nature and other materials carefully arranged into uplifting designs that celebrate meaningful relationships and special places.

In October 2017, DEMDACO introduced the Sharon Nowlan Collection of distinctive pebble artwork. Those early creations began as a handful of small, smooth rocks Sharon’s son found on a beach. Inspired by their unique natural beauty and texture, they were soon given new life as sea-softened, emotional depictions of grandparents and children. Her exploration of this distinctive style has evolved over time to portray a wide-range of subjects, and incorporate different materials.

Now widely available in highly-detailed artisan reproductions, Sharon’s artwork is a DEMDACO top-seller and her collection was recently expanded to include new pieces that use soft hues of blue and green sea glass for added touches of color. Here’s some insight into Sharon’s creative process, her inspirations and other thoughts.

When your son gave you those first pebbles, did you know it would lead to something special?

That day is a very special memory. I recall he was afraid of the big waves, so he stayed on the dry sand. He picked up these little flat pebbles, brought them to me, and I put them in my pocket. I didn’t know at the time what to do with them, but it was this special moment with him that inspired me to create my first pebble pieces the next day.

How long after you created that first pebble piece did you start showing these works?

As soon as the glue dried the next day, I had my first pebble pieces framed and on my gallery wall. I only had a small handful of pebbles, but managed to make two pictures that day—a grandmother and a child baking cookies, and a grandfather and a child reading a book. These were inspired by things my parents liked to do with my children. I was excited for them to see my new art, but they sold so quickly, they never had a chance. That’s when I knew I had to make more.

What do you strive to achieve through your artwork?

My main objective is to say as much as possible with as little as possible. It’s not always an easy thing to do when you work with tiny pebbles. I try to look at life from afar and scrub away the clutter to create a quiet, peaceful and minimal reflection of life and nature. I strive to achieve warmth and lightness from cold, hard pebbles and sea glass.

How often do you experiment with new media?

For the first year or so I only used pebbles and space in my designs. After a while I began to experiment with the use of line, as well as shell pieces. After that I introduced bits of driftwood and then sea glass. I’ve also played with twigs, sand, moss, paper, metal, wire and other random things.

What drew you to sea glass as the focus of your recent work?

Sea glass is a wonderful complement to the pebbles. It was one of those things that I picked up along with the pebbles for many years, even before I knew what to do with it. The small pops of color help draw attention to the important parts of the designs.

About DEMDACO

For more than 20 years, DEMDACO has designed and sold giftable products intended to “Lift the Spirit” — in times of celebration, when comfort is needed, or just to put a smile on someone’s face. The hand-curated artisan gifts it develops and distributes are chosen for their potential to help people nurture goodness in the lives of others, celebrate family and friends and encourage people to treat themselves.

© 2019 DEMDACO