Renata Sharman is a Polish born ceramicist and painter. In 1997 she moved to the US with her husband and two children from Melbourne, Australia. With an insatiable appetite for creativity, knowledge and exploration, she has been involved in the creation of art for more than 3 decades and is the embodiment of inner strength, emotions, and compassion.
Her adventure with art started 30 years ago when she defected from communist Poland to West Germany. She enrolled in a few ceramic classes not knowing how they were going to influence the course of her life forever. Later, she partnered with her friend and opened a ceramics studio in Germany. While teaching classes in ceramics and experimenting with glazing, she developed unique firing, surface treatment, and glazing techniques. Yet, it took more than 1,000 test tiles, endless chemical experiments, and calculations to reach that level of expertise.
Renata is a true "citizen-of-the-world": she lived on four continents and visited nearly 120 countries. Renata views her multicultural heritage and exposure as precious gifts as they have given her a respect for perspective and the ability to easily slide into another's shoes.
Her adventure with art started 30 years ago when she defected from communist Poland to West Germany. She enrolled in a few ceramic classes not knowing how they were going to influence the course of her life forever. Later, she partnered with her friend and opened a ceramics studio in Germany. While teaching classes in ceramics and experimenting with glazing, she developed unique firing, surface treatment, and glazing techniques. Yet, it took more than 1,000 test tiles, endless chemical experiments, and calculations to reach that level of expertise.
Renata is a true "citizen-of-the-world": she lived on four continents and visited nearly 120 countries. Renata views her multicultural heritage and exposure as precious gifts as they have given her a respect for perspective and the ability to easily slide into another's shoes.
When her family moved to Chicago in late 90-s, Renata’s European education was not recognized in the USA. She had to start over again. Renata shared with us, “I had a fully equipped studio: kilns, firing, glazes – everything. But I injured my hands by pushing too much clay on the wheel, fighting centrifugal force, and with a 20-pound lump of clay my little wrists were badly injured…- I couldn’t do it anymore.” - That is when she turned to painting. “I am a little bit of a perfectionist; I had to buy every book on painting and do lots of studying.” That perfectionist attitude helped Renata become a successful artist in Chicago and allowed her to be selected for the Illinois Artisan Program. Renata’s art was selected among hundreds of applicants and displayed at the Illinois State Museum and its stores.
When her family moved to Texas, Renata’s art again gained great recognition. She won numerous local awards including Best of Show by the Richardson Civic Art Society. Renata actively pursues her passion in visual arts and teaches advanced oil and acrylic painting in her home studio. Apart from that, she instructs fun art classes at Painting with a Twist in Garland.
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