Sharon Sprung facts for kids

Sharon Sprung is an American artist who paints amazing portraits. She lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. She is famous for painting important people, like Jeannette Rankin and Patsy Mink, who were both members of Congress. She also painted the official White House portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. Sharon Sprung also teaches art at the Art Students League of New York.

Sharon Sprung's Early Life and Art Journey

Sharon Sprung grew up in Glen Cove, New York. When she was six years old, her father passed away. Sadly, all their photos of him were lost. This made Sharon want to paint portraits. She wanted to remember faces and capture them forever.

At first, her mother wasn't sure about Sharon becoming an artist. But in 1975, Sharon received a special grant from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation. This helped her begin her art career. She started taking classes at the Art Student League in New York City. There, she learned from famous artists like Daniel E. Greene and Harvey Dinnerstein. She also went to Cornell University for a short time, but she preferred the art classes in New York City.

Sharon Sprung's Art Style

Sharon Sprung is known for her unique portrait paintings. Her art mixes two styles: realism and abstraction. Realism means painting things exactly as they look. Abstraction uses shapes, colors, and lines to show feelings or ideas. Sharon believes that the best realistic paintings also have good abstract qualities.

She mostly uses oil paints on wood panels for her artwork. She calls her style "contemporary realism." This means it's realistic but also modern. She gets ideas from famous artists like Velazquez, Caravaggio, Egon Schiele, Kathe Kollwitz, and Diane Arbus. Sharon is especially known for painting women. She even painted a series of young single mothers who lived near her in Brooklyn. Around 2007, as more people saw her work, she started getting requests to paint portraits for others.

Teaching Art to Students

Sharon Sprung began teaching at the Art Student League of New York in 2004. In her classes, she often shows students how she paints a portrait from start to finish. She explains her process over a whole semester. She encourages her students to spend more time looking at the person they are painting than actually painting. This helps them truly see their subject. She also tells them not to be too hard on themselves and to focus on the whole picture, not just small parts. Sharon also taught for many years at the National Academy School. She even received a special award from their museum for her lifetime of teaching. While she is famous for painting, she also teaches drawing.

Painting Important Congressional Leaders

In 2004, the House of Representatives asked Sharon Sprung to paint a portrait of Jeannette Rankin. Jeannette Rankin was a suffragist, which means she worked for women's right to vote. She was also the first woman ever elected to the House of Representatives in 1917. In the painting, Jeannette Rankin is holding a newspaper about her being sworn into office. To make the painting accurate, Sharon learned what Jeannette wore that day. She even rented a costume, hired a model, and found a copy of the old newspaper.

Years later, in 2022, Sharon painted another important woman: Patsy Takemoto Mink. Patsy Mink was the first woman of color to be elected to Congress. Her portrait includes colors and shapes inspired by the Pacific Ocean and her home state of Hawaii.

Michelle Obama's White House Portrait

Sharon Sprung was chosen to paint the official White House portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. The White House Historical Association asked her to do this important job. Sharon worked on the portrait for nine months. It was a big project! She had to follow some rules about moving things around in the White House rooms to get the best lighting.

Usually, these portraits are shown to the public during the next president's time in office. However, the Trump administration did not hold a ceremony for the Obamas' portraits. So, Sharon had to keep the finished painting hidden in her studio for six years. She had signed an agreement not to tell anyone about it. Finally, in 2022, the Bidens held a special event to show the portraits. Michelle Obama's portrait was displayed next to Barack Obama's painting, which was done by Robert McCurdy. At the event, former President Obama thanked Sharon. He said she captured everything he loved about Michelle, including her grace and intelligence.

The portrait shows Michelle Obama sitting on a red sofa in the Red Room of the White House. She is wearing a beautiful turquoise dress designed by Jason Wu. Sharon based the painting on several photographs. According to Maegan Vazquez from CNN, the portrait shows Mrs. Obama looking comfortable in one of the White House's most formal rooms. It was also the first time a White House portrait showed someone in a dress with bare shoulders. Dan Kois from Slate said the portrait honors the past while bringing presidential art into the 21st century. Will Heinrich from New York Times noted that Sharon's painting reminds us that oil paint is excellent for truly seeing someone. He felt it was a good mix of the Obamas' wish for new ideas and respecting the White House's traditional style.

Sharon Sprung's Personal Life

Since 1980, Sharon Sprung has lived and worked in Brooklyn, New York. She lives with her husband, who is a psychotherapist.