Colby Eagles Alumni Association
Deacon Sharp
Class of 1955
Copyright Colby Eagles Alunmi Association @ 2013
Deroy F. Sharp was born in 1936 at home in Colby, Kansas. He was raised on the family farm with 8 siblings of which 2 older brothers died when they were very young. The surviving boys were expected to work the farm at a young age. By the time they were 5 or 6 they were sent to bring in the cows. By age 6 or 7 they were on the tractor for part of the day doing chores close to home and when their 9th or 10th birthday had arrived it was dawn to dusk on the tractor anywhere on the farm. This upbringing taught Deroy the value of hard work and procrastination was a luxury not allowed. There were chores that had to be taken care of in a timely manner. It was also during Deroy's early childhood the family gave him the nickname--Deacon and it remains with him today. In fact, the majority of people who know him, only know him as Deacon.
Deacon was your typical artist--as far back as he can remember, he would try to capture the likeness of the farm animals in a drawing or out of wood. His earliest memory of receiving recognition for his talents was in the second grade. The teacher gave him praise for a team of horses he made in clay and brought to Show & Tell.
In 1957, Deacon moved to Colorado to attend Colorado State University. He majored in Fine Art, was top in his class and received special recognition from his professors.
Deacon's schooling focused on impressionism and design. This brings us to the present and his current work-- the stylized series in bronze and his impressionistic paintings. Deacon's background in the arts, his knowledge of anatomy and study of behavior gathers together when he creates a work, especially in bronze.
In his approach to a new work, the first rendering is in a realistic form, whether it be human or animal. (Just as a side note of his technical skill. Deacon can do absolute realism with tight detail if he chooses, but for the stylized series he is interested in portraying the attitude and design of his idea ouer representation.) After the piece has captured the form he is looking for, he then begins to accentuate the design aspect and pushes back the representational features. He is very successful in dramatizing a characteristic of man or beast. This unique blend of Deacon's has touched the hearts and bridged gaps of different collectors.
