African-American art is Tiffaney Tensley's forte.

The 33-year-old artist from Youngstown said her passion for black art has made a significant influence on her own artwork.

"(African-American art) is mainly what I'm familiar with. It's what I know and it's what I like to do," she said.

An exhibit of Ms. Tensley's work, along with works by Sharon native Deborah Kay Nees, will be featured at the Valley Arts Guild, 10 Vine Ave., Sharon. The show opens with a public reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday.

Ms. Tensley's "Essence" exhibit will feature several of her favorite paintings and clay sculptures. Most of her artistic illusions are created using water colors, oils and acrylics. The finely crafted African-American doll sculptures she makes are done using a polymer clay. Frederick Douglas -- the 19th-century abolitionist -- is among the list of her creations.

"I just do what I like and what I have a feel for," she said.

She said her ultimate goal with every piece of art is to provoke a response and get people thinking. At a recent arts festival in Youngstown, she said one of her paintings provoked 10 separate responses from 10 different people.

"And not one of the 10 saw what I was seeing," she said. "But I don't mind as long they're seeing and thinking about something," she said.

She said it's important that her persona shines through her pieces. One way she does it is "bouncing back and forth" between projects.

She's been a serious artist for nearly 16 years and attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, which helped to develop her skills.

On her down time, when she's not working as a professional picture framer, she's thinking about art. She said this year has been busier than usual, placing some of her projects on hold. But it hasn't stop her from working when she's had good ideas. One night after having an interesting dream, she woke up and sketched out an idea, she said.

At least one thing's for sure. Ms. Tensley doesn't plan to ever completely stop painting and sculpting no matter how busy she may get.

"I need to get back to doing it more than I have been," she said. "I've found that I miss this and I need to keep doing something creative. Creativity is my gift, so it's important that I use it. It's not fair to others if I don't use my gift," she said.