Hi, I'm Sharan

I’m an Australian animal artist living and working on the Gold Coast, creating highly detailed pastel paintings of animals, from much-loved companions to horses and wildlife.

Animals have always been part of my life, long before I ever thought of painting them. There were dogs of every shape and personality, horses, and even, for a short and memorable time, a rescued kangaroo joey who became part of the household alongside an Irish setter and a rather opinionated poodle.

Perhaps that is why, when I paint an animal, likeness alone has never felt quite enough. I’m interested in the small things that make each one an individual — an expression in the eyes, a particular attitude, a sense of strength, gentleness or mischief. Those are the things I look for when I’m working.

I work primarily in soft pastel, building layers of colour and detail gradually to create realism while retaining the character and presence of the animal. I don’t want a painting simply to be an accurate representation; I want there to be a sense of the animal looking back at you.

For commissioned portraits, that means getting to know a little about the animal before I begin. A photograph can show me what they looked like, but the stories their people tell me often reveal much more — the expressions, habits and peculiar little characteristics that made them unmistakably themselves.

Wildlife and horses give me something different: the opportunity to explore strength, movement and the quiet dignity of animals in their own world.

And then there is Elsa — my much-loved dog, studio companion and occasional critic. She takes the position very seriously.