Meet the Qrafties II: Sharon Chong, Hong Kong Watercolour Illustrator

3 Mins Read

Sharon Chong is an independent watercolour illustrator who is born and raised in Hong Kong. Her interest in painting started when her mum bought her a sketching pencil set when she was a teen. She describes herself as a shy person and as she is the only child in the family, she enjoys "alone time". Sketching has become her favourite activity. Sharon graduated in 2013 with a higher diploma in Commercial Design. During her studies, she took the opportunity to learn about different areas of art and design as well as trying out different art materials. In the year of her graduation, she won the 13th Hong Kong Footwear Design Competition Awards as 1st runner-up.

Sharon received positive feedback on a farewell card she made for her ex-colleague which encourages her to create more cards for different occasions. She eventually founded SCKCART to offer stationaries of her own design.

When did you start painting and what do you enjoy the most about it?

I started painting when I was eight, and I got really into it when I was a teen. What I've enjoyed the most about painting is being in the moment where I am by myself with no pressure and everything I do at that time is to follow my heart and be focused. I feel satisfied when I created a piece of painting.

Why did you decide to start SCKCART?

A few years ago, a close colleague of mine was leaving the company and I decided to make her a farewell card instead of buying one from the supermarket. I received positive feedback on it which encourages me to create more cards for different occasions. I eventually founded SCKCART to offer stationaries of my own design.

How has your practice in painting changed over time?

From using different art materials such as pencil, charcoal sticks, acrylics, watercolor, pen, and ink, to creating a piece of artwork using a combination of art materials. Creating a traditional piece with digital effect and creating a piece of artwork using watercolour and acrylics (I like the texture of it!) will be what I am going to create next.

What is it like to paint a personalised piece of artwork?

My customers always give me new ideas that allow me to try something new. I recently had a customer who would like a painting of Peru as well as some Peru-inspired stamps after their travel. I have also created a piece of a painting of my customer swimming underwater with a wedding dress on. Personalised artwork gives me the opportunity to paint something that I have never painted before and I enjoyed it.

Of so many pieces of your design, which one is your favourite one and why?

The set of Happy birthday cards with floral background is my favourite. Many of my friends and colleagues love it and I hope to share these birthday cards with everyone!

How would you like people to feel when they got your creative work?

Special, unique, and not the one you can easily find in the shopping malls or book stores. I love to pack my cards beautifully because I want my customers to feel that they are unwrapping a gift and feel excited about it when they received my stationery creations.

Would you also be interested to try out art materials other than watercolours?

Yes, definitely! Pen, ink, acrylics, and digital art sounds interesting. I would like to sketch with charcoal sticks again too. I am open to trying out new art materials.

Which Artist inspired you the most and why?

Banksy! I am interested in street art! Bankey artwork is simple and most of them don't require words to explain the artwork. I think that’s what a piece of good artwork is about.

Artists in general spend a lot of time painting alone. Do you think it is important to be in an art community too?

I think is important to be in an art community. I prefer creating my artwork alone but I also enjoy being in an art community where we can share our struggles and knowledge to support each other.

WORDS FROM OUR FOUNDER

“I met Sharon in person at a fair where she was hosting a booth for her staionary creations. She was running an art workshop with a group of children when I arrived and I am impressed by how passionate she is about sharing art with others. I managed to have a chat with her afterwards and her devotion to art inspired me. Sharon is a cheerful artist with a lot of ideas when it comes to creating art. We joked about she needs a mind map to organise every idea she has. I am grateful to have Sharon as part of the Qraftie community and I look forward to seeing all her creative ideas coming into reality. I am sure they will be as delightful as the artistic work that she has already created.”

Thank you for being an appreciative reader as always. Meet the Qrafties II is a series of Qraftie sellers’ stories, sharing with you the passion and hard work behind the creative works you see in their Qraftie stores. If you enjoy reading this blog post, please share it with your family and friends. Stay tuned for our next Meet the Qrafties story.

October 2021