Sand & Shadows | Framed Art Print

As a child Sharon McDaid’s favourite gift was pencils; while other children were out playing, she would happily sit on her own and draw what she saw around her. When she was six, her mother took her to see a local art exhibition and a spark was ignited, Sharon said: “It was the first time I was exposed to a room full of art and I just thought oh my God, you can actually do this for a living”

She was so determined to study Art that in secondary school she dropped subjects which she felt were of no value to her, including French, careers guidance and religious studies. “I didn’t want to be wasting my time and that was my argument. It was my education and I was sitting daydreaming when I could be doing something towards getting a place at art college.” It paid off when Sharon received an unconditional offer of a place in Art college and completed her degree and followed it up with a six-month course in accounting for business.

Sharon’s art is inspired by home; her passion for the Inishowen peninsula shines through her work. Her creative career has taken her on an incredible journey from running a hugely successful textile company, to life now as a fulltime professional visual artist. “It has just meandered on its own way and it has been great; I never focus too much or too far into the future; I just produce good work and hopefully that will be enough to carry it through and keep it successful.”