Shara Bailey is a representational artist with a lifelong fascination with light, particularly in the way it can transform even the most mundane object into a thing of beauty. Born and raised in a Philadelphia suburb, she found herself drawn to the open skies and dramatic landscapes of the American West during a trip to New Mexico in the late 1980s. Determined to live where she found joy, she spent 10 years in Arizona earning a PhD in anthropology. She eventually made her way back to the east coast and is now a Professor at New York University.

Shara found that city living forced her to look at the word differently. Gone was the crisp blue Arizona sky interrupted by mountains and cacti. In its place were buildings and sidewalks. One day, during her evening commute, she noticed the sunset’s reflection on a building across the river and was reminded that beauty is where you find it. She has conducted a daily search for the magical in the mundane ever since, believing that, sometimes, all we need to see it are some rose-colored glasses.

Shara splits her time on paintings that reflect her continued love affair with dramatic landscapes and those that capture a special moment in time when the light and sky remind us that beauty is everywhere.