Sharron Lobaugh

Both Sharron and her husband (Cliff Lobaugh-the veterinarian) retired 5 years ago, enabling them since to travel all over the world. Sharron explained that it always had been her dream “to paint and travel”. She had been overseas before, to Australia, but was frustrated, as she had been too busy with business conferences to paint. Now it is possible with more time. Often she sends her family ahead to tour while she stays somewhere to record the scene. She likes to paint “plein air” or outside, in these exotic locations. She does quick watercolor sketches to use later at her home studio to develop further in oils.

Her first opportunity to paint this way, was in Rome, Italy, 2001. “It was so picturesque, I wanted to paint everywhere”. She water colored 15 compositions, but now only has 5 left for display. She was pursued and persuaded by the people on tour with her to sell to them. What she enjoyed painting most was “Chivita”, an abandoned stone village, carved out of the hilltop. She later turned this painting into a large oil study. She said she painted so much that she ran out of paper. With the help of a street artist, she found an art supply store carrying Fabriano, quality Italian paper and was ready to go again.

“What I see, tells me what and how to paint”, she said. “My style is unique to where I am. What’s done in China looks Chinese”. She continued, “A dramatic bold mountain makes a strong oil painting, whereas a delicate bouquet needs a light pastel media”.

The Lobaughs enjoyed their garden tour of China, finding the gardens “highly planned, ancient and integrated with the buildings. Turkey was “a fast moving tour by bus” and Sharron found it difficult to slow down to paint. But her 2 weeks in France with her sister was “fantastic”. “April in Paris with every flower, every tree in bloom was the art to see. Just wonderful!”, she recalled. There in Paris she enjoyed shopping in the oldest art store, “Sennilier”, where they still grind jewels into pigments the old way.

Sharron was raised in Pullman, WA and attended WSU graduating in fine arts. She met her husband there also a WSU student in the veterinary college. She taught school in Colfax, WA and after moving to Juneau in 1962 to set up his practice, she taught art at JDHS for 5 years. She continued her education, receiving masters in education at UAS, and masters at Boston University. She later worked for the state in injury prevention.

Sharron now paints everyday for 3 hours- her retirement goal, and perhaps dreams of her next painting and travel adventure.