Sherri Thomas
While I paint many different kinds of paintings, the landscape is my first and greatest love. Rarely is it difficult to find something in the landscape to paint; the difficulty is choosing which one. Most of my paintings have a beginning being painted plein air (outdoors) because I’ve found that nothing compares to seeing the subtleties of the subject and working in its environment. Somehow, the sounds, smells and feel of an area are transmitted through the oil paint and brush and onto the canvas. Colors are also richer and more complex in real life. On the days where it all works, it‘s an amazing feeling to capture it on canvas and preserve that segment of time.
Larger canvases are painted in the studio. I find working in the studio enjoyable because it’s an opportunity to slow down and analyze what I’m painting. Outside, I react to the scene, seeking to convey the emotion of the moment. Indoors, I use my knowledge to construct the painting while striving to keep the emotion of the plein air study in the studio painting.
