One day when Sharyn Sowell was in a fishing boat with two avid fishermen and her two children she used the scissors of her husband’s Swiss army knife to cut out a zoo-full of animals and Noah’s ark out of the children’s’ lunch bags. She was merely trying to amuse the boys, little did she know she that she’d fallen head over heels into a love affair with paper and scissors. Thousands of sheets of paper later, her scissors flash, revealing violets in a grassy meadow, a Sparrow’s wing, and children at play with the fairies or jazz musicians. Sharyn’s original designs always begin with scissors and a single sheet of paper which she cuts free hand. She embellishes the cut paper with type from her antique press, calligraphy, pastels, watercolor, and digital enhancements. Sharyn has two studios: One is a suitcase crammed full of craft supplies, ready to go at a moment’s notice.
The other is a cottage covered with rose in the garden spilling over with pots of ink, clattering old printing presses, rainbow-colored stacks of paper by the dozen, glue, and scissors and far too many tubes of paint. Sharyn has earned a reputation for designing products for a wide variety of industries. She’s spoken on FaveCrafts Radio, taught at Portland’s prestigious Art & Soul creative retreats, and instructed at various calligraphy workshops. A proven professional with a long track record, she designs for diverse companies like Sunrise Greetings, Hallmark, Creative Converting, Michaels and York Wallcoverings. Sharyn partners with Celebrity Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, and Princess, where she shares her love of crafting and art.
