Sharon Leichsenring doesn’t just paint murals on the wall. Seeing one of her completed projects, the viewer is part of a total illusion. “There’s a sense of wonder to have an artist create that special world for you in your own home that is truly yours.” says Sharon. “It’s more than finding the correct palette and reference materials-which are important-but, the core of the successful design is being able to take your client’s wish and translate it into that emotional response which they are seeking. A well-designed mural or vignette should be able to evoke that response every time it’s viewed.

Sharon’s studio is crammed with reference books, photos and files full of print illustrations she has culled over the years from travel magazines. There is inspiration to be found everywhere. She jokes that her own vacation photos don’t look quite like you would expect. There are few pictures of couples posed in front of a backdrop, but there are myriads of close-ups of gate latches, winding vines and picturesque shadows.

Sharon Leichsenring studied at the Paier School of Art, formerly the Whitney School, in New Haven, Connectciut. Her background gave her the best of two worlds to develop the techniques she uses. Formal training as both a fine artist and graphics designer is combined with razor sharp execution honed from years of experience as a commercial hand-lettering artist.

As a decorative artist, Sharon’s portfolio only opens with murals. She offers a wide array of glazed and textured finishes, including several breathtaking creations of mica-infused plaster. Her stenciling techniques include traditional as well as dimensional work. Cloudscapes range from simple and whimsical used for nurseries and perhaps a laundry room, quiet and airy to recall that perfect morning sky, to billowy and dramatic as the mood may dictate. She also offers faux marble and faux bois (wood-graining).

Sharon is a member of the National Society of Mural Painters and the Stencil Artisans League. She has also been a participant since 2003 in The Salon, an international by-invitation-only gathering of artists. These conferences have brought Sharon to Brugge, Belgium and Oslo, Norway as well as a recent gathering in the States in Philadelphia.

Sharon teaches workshops in schools dedicated to the training of decorative artists. Her curriculum includes Mural Painting, Trompe L’oeil Elements, Perspective Drawing and Cloud Painting. Primarily, she teaches several times a year at Anything But Plain School of Decorative Finishes in Houston, Texas, as well as in Atlanta, Denver and New York.

With over thirty-five years of experience, this artist brings a unique ability to each project: the combination of the development stage as a stress free experience for the client and the finished project that carry’s Sharon signature style.

Sharon is a national award winning artist, having garnered the grand prize in 2005 for Decorative painting in the TOP JOB! Competition sponsored by American Painting Contractors. Her work can be found in residences throughout Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties in Connecticut, as well as Westchester County in New York. Leichsenring Studios has been selected as the Artist of the Month for the Decorative Art Community's House of Faux's Web Site.