One of the things that sets Sharon Towle's work apart from other contemporary watercolorists is her talent for making the mundane special; everyday things the human eye takes for granted become the focal points of her brilliant canvases.

• Adirondack chairs on a sunsplashed patio…
• striped canvas slings forgotten on a deserted beach…
• exotic flowers exploding in vivid color…
• dinghies moored to a weather-beaten pier…

All focus on Towle's dramatic use of bold, clear color, intricate shadings and her love affair with the light; color so transparent her canvases seem to be made of glass.

Especially intriguing are scenes from her many travels throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, – the quaint shops, native people in colorful dress, local architecture and scenic vistas of swaying palm trees and clear blue water – as well as landscapes that capture the sunlaced beauty of the California coast.

Perhaps the person most qualified to assess Sharon Towle's art is the artist herself, who says, "I firmly believe opposites attract, in life as well as in art. I look for disparity in texture and tone and make them work together. I blend negative with positive shapes, mix simplicity with detail, contrast bright, happy colors with darker tones of the earth, sea and sky, and translate these techniques to items I find about me, that have caught my eye. Even discarded Styrofoam coffee cups and colorful cans, which I see as symbols of our disposable society and the growing disregard for nature, are suitable subjects for my brush. I want the people who look at my work to come away with new perspectives; to see commonplace things in a brand new light…see them again for the very first time."