Sharon (Holmes) Christian
Sharon (Holmes) Christian was raised on a family farm near Innisfail, Alberta. Her great love of nature, including all of the wild creatures and tame farm animals, began there on the farm and by the Medicine River that flows through it. In grade five, she received a commission for 25 cents, affirming her early artistic passions and abilities. Her appreciation for life, people, animals large and small, and nature, became fundamental to her lifelong beliefs and enjoyment of painting.
In 1971, Christian received a B.Sc. in Education from the University of Calgary and studied art at the Alberta College of Art & Design (formerly Alberta College of Art) upon deciding in 1976 to make her living as a full time artist. She taught junior high school art in Calgary until 1978, and facilitated occasional workshops and classes throughout her career. Christian was the youngest person named to the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, at age 29. She also held membership from 1981-1991 with the Alberta Society of Artists. Christian illustrated Prairie Remedies, a 1981 children’s book by Sheila Kerr, and in 1993 she compiled 20 years of writing into The Thin Wolf Without The Collar/The Fat Dog, a philosophical book about art. Christian’s work has been exhibited widely since the 1970s throughout Alberta, her home province until 1985; in Vancouver, BC, her residence until 2012; and in Chilliwack, BC, where she lived until her death in 2015. Her work can be found in numerous private, public, hospital, and corporate collections throughout Western Canada.
In 1971, Christian received a B.Sc. in Education from the University of Calgary and studied art at the Alberta College of Art & Design (formerly Alberta College of Art) upon deciding in 1976 to make her living as a full time artist. She taught junior high school art in Calgary until 1978, and facilitated occasional workshops and classes throughout her career. Christian was the youngest person named to the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, at age 29. She also held membership from 1981-1991 with the Alberta Society of Artists. Christian illustrated Prairie Remedies, a 1981 children’s book by Sheila Kerr, and in 1993 she compiled 20 years of writing into The Thin Wolf Without The Collar/The Fat Dog, a philosophical book about art. Christian’s work has been exhibited widely since the 1970s throughout Alberta, her home province until 1985; in Vancouver, BC, her residence until 2012; and in Chilliwack, BC, where she lived until her death in 2015. Her work can be found in numerous private, public, hospital, and corporate collections throughout Western Canada.