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I graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art in 1994, and a Post-Baccalaureate degree in Studio Art in 1995. I received a Master of Arts in Teaching from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1996. I have been teaching art at Shrewsbury High School ever since. While teaching, I try to create and exhibit my own artwork as much as possible and continue to take classes whenever I can.

For many years, my artwork was inspired by art from other cultures. I began that type of work while I was researching African masks at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995. I became fascinated with the shapes and patterns in African art. I used them in my work, layering them on top of one another in paintings and prints.

Since then, I have taken several trips to Asia on which I have photographed and collected images to incorporate in my work. I did a series of lithographs, which were mostly inspired by a trip I took to Hong Kong in 1998. These pieces, like the ones inspired by African art, continue to be about layering images and seeing through parts of these layers. The first five pieces began with collages using transparencies and tracing paper with Xeroxes of my photographs, maps, drawings, and Chinese and Japanese characters. I also included photocopies of several objects I brought back, such as a Chinese coin and Chinese fabric. The last three images were created entirely on the computer, using the layering tools in Adobe Photoshop. All eight images were then made into lithographs. Although most of the images and characters are Chinese, the series ends with a Buddha from Indonesia , inspired by a trip I took there in 1999. I also did a number of mixed media pieces based on the Buddha. These pieces incorporate collage, painting, and printmaking.

In the last few years, the focus of my artwork has become more personal. I have been creating artwork about my father's battle with Diabetes. I have done mixed media pieces in my sketchbook, an installation, and several digital images. Many of the images have to do with his legs being amputated as well as the heart and kidney disease that are complications of Diabetes.

You can see the eight Buddha lithographs, the mixed media buddhas, and pieces about my father on my website- ShariFox.com.

   - Shari Fox