“I’ve been drawn to the landscape since a small child, and
have spent most of my life photographing the power and drama of sunrises,
sunsets and cloud formations, mountains, farmland and valley views. During my life I have moved from NY to New
Jersey, California, Oregon, and Florida and now make my home in Colorado. These mental images are my inspiration, and
excite and inspire me as I paint.
My artistic goal is to interpret and abstract our compelling
American landscape, and have my finished work communicate a sense of place both
imagined and visited. I paint in oil on canvas
and linen and use the palette knife as well as brushes. Sometimes I paint over a painting, allowing a
peek into past textural and color decisions, which offers exciting and
surprising layers of interest along the painting’s journey.”
“Beginning with a visual reference, I select a color plan
that excites me. Generally I sketch a
value plan, and then onto the canvas! Once I have the entire canvas covered
with a thin complimentary wash, I begin laying new exciting colors and
establish my values and shapes with them.
Sometimes I scrape it all back, and let the piece dry, which gives an
under painting texture and color dynamics that really add layers of interest. I let some of this under painting peek
through in each final piece. Oil paints allow such a wonderful painterly
freedom of expression, the colors are vibrant and blend so well on the canvas,
allowing happy surprises to appear and refresh my palette and give way to new
and exciting directions.”
“After this stage, colors and shapes take precedence and
the fun/work begins! I still use my reference
photographs through this process, evaluating the evolving relationships on my canvas,
making sure that my aesthetic illusion continues to evolve from my initial
inspiration. Sometimes paintings take
many passes, changing and re-directing, that’s the fun of working with
oils! My final color corrections push me
out of my comfort area, away from my initial reference photographs, away from
details, towards more exciting abstract color relationships, towards my
interpreted sense of place.”
Cheri has an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Arts &
Advertising, a BS in Business Management, and has attended fine art workshops
with Don Sahli, Jordan Wolfson, Larissa Aukon, Mitch Albala, Ken Elliott and
Judy Greenan. She has juried the Open
Arts Festival in Boulder 2015 and 2016 and in 2013 and 2016 she was accepted
into the Artist in Residence Program in Breckenridge, Colorado. She paints both in her studio in Berthoud Colorado
and en plein air. She has exhibited at
Parkside Gallery in Park City Utah, Thornwood Gallery in Houston, TX, Dolce
Gallery in Telluride CO, Vilona Gallery in Boulder CO, Mousai Gallery in
Carbondale CO, Smith Klein Gallery in Boulder and Atlantic Center for the Arts
in New Smyrna Beach Florida.
No comments:
Post a Comment