Sharon Gilham
I create mixed media work using vintage paper, found objects, and discarded materials. My process is rooted in reclaiming what’s been forgotten and giving it new life. Through collage, assemblage, and handmade journals, I explore themes of memory, time, and resilience. I’m interested in how worn materials can still carry meaning, and how imperfection can be a form of beauty. Each piece reflects a balance between careful construction and intuitive decision-making.
A lifelong collector of overlooked things, Sharon taught herself to make art the same way she lives: by feeling her way through it. As an emerging artist, she’s drawn to themes of transformation, memory, and the quiet chaos of becoming. Her work is shaped by personal history, Midwestern garage sale Saturdays, and a deep appreciation for things that still carry weight, even after they’ve been cast aside.
Biography
Sharon Gilham is a mixed media artist based in Denver, Colorado. Her work is characterized by layered compositions that incorporate vintage paper, found objects, and discarded materials. A self-taught artist, she works across collage, assemblage, handmade jewelry, and artist journals, with a process that is both intuitive and deliberate.
Sharon’s practice centers on the belief that materials hold memory. She seeks to reclaim and repurpose forgotten items; old photographs, fabric remnants, bits of metal and paper—to explore themes of time, transformation, and resilience. Through layering and contrast, she creates pieces that reflect the tension between permanence and decay, history and reinterpretation.
Her journals are constructed with original watercolor covers, mixed media collage, or salvaged vintage book covers. Each is lined with fabric and filled with a curated mix of vintage and hand-altered papers. Her journals range from traveler’s journals to junk journals. Her jewelry incorporates hand-painted papers, natural stones, and found components, continuing her commitment to materials with a past.
In 2025, Sharon’s work was included in the Big Gay Art Show at the Sedona Arts Center. She is developing her creative practice under the name Simple Chaos Studios, with a focus on building a cohesive body of work that honors the past while creating space for new narratives.
Fine Art Gallery
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Jewelry
Circular Black Bead and Book Page Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS300E
$38.00
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Jewelry
Orange Book Page in Goldtone Circle Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS302E
$31.00
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Jewelry
Wild Plum Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS101E
$32.00
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Jewelry
Yellow and Blue with Dangling Bead Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS303E
$38.00
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Jewelry
Milk Rose Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS105E
$42.00
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Jewelry
Yellow and Blue with Flower Sketch Dangle Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS304E
$38.00
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Jewelry
Plum Drop Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS106E
$42.00
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Jewelry
Blue with Inside Silver Tone Rectangle by Sharon Gilham SCS305E
$38.00
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Jewelry
Gilded Berry Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS107E
$42.00
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Jewelry
Pink and Red with Bird and Star Bead by Sharon Gilham SCS306E
$38.00
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Jewelry
Cornflower Moth Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS111E
$42.00
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Jewelry
Orange Heart Bead Gold Tone Circle by Sharon Gilham SCS307E
$38.00
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Jewelry
Sour Hibiscus Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS112E
$36.00
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Jewelry
Ethiopian Opal Beads Red and Pink Tear Drop by Sharon Gilham SCS308E
$38.00
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Jewelry
Passionfruit Honey Earrings by Sharon Gilham SCS115E
$32.00
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Jewelry
Light Agua and Peach Tulips by Sharon Gilham SCS309E
$38.00
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Jewelry, Chain, Beads, Paper, and Resin Bezel
Candy Current Necklace by Sharon Gilham scs118n
$52.00
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Jewelry
Red and Orange Tulips by Sharon Gilham SCS310E
$38.00
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Jewelry, Chain, Beads, Paper, and Resin Bezel
Cherry Sparrow Necklace by Sharon Gilham SCS119N
$52.00
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jewelry, Chain, Beads, Paper, and Resin Bezel
Sunday Licorice Necklace by Sharon Gilham scs120n
$52.00
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jewelry, Chain, Beads, Paper, and Resin Bezel
Maple Chai Necklace by Sharon Gilham scs122n
$52.00
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Book Arts
Petal Bloom Journal by Sharon Gilham scs124j
$64.00
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Jewelry, Painted Paper, Beads, and a Chain
Citrus Jelly Earrings by Sharon Gilham scs135e
$48.00
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Jewelry, Swan Bezel, and Acrylic Beads
Blueberry Song Earrings by Sharon Gilham scs136e
$34.00