Artist Statement

Living in a rural setting along with various travels has unquestionably influenced my choice of color, texture,and design. Rich, earthy surfaces from the Nebraska Loess Hills surround me daily and the visual changes in the natural and rustic scenery supply much of my inspiration to create Abstract paintings.

My process generally involves a spontaneous and intuitive approach to painting with attitude, mood, thoughts,and concerns for composition dictating every step. Old, worn, weathered and distressed walls and objects are the surfaces I am drawn to along with the colors of sunsets, sky,water and rolling fields of native grasses. These elements creep into my mind as I scrape, scribble, scrub and brush the surface of each canvas.

My goal is to refrain from imitating or creating a literal interpretation of my subjects or the landscape, but rather to achieve a controlled composition that is inviting and rich in surface quality. I wish to invite the viewer to move around the space and search the nuances of the surface much like discovering a little fragment of nature under your feet. At the same time, I like strong shapes and patterns that attract and move the eye.

In the recent past, my photography business took the emphasis away from painting, but in capturing my favorite images with the camera, I am able to manipulate images and use them as reminders of the places, colors and surfaces I love. My challenge is to combine all of the visual stimuli and yet keep my paintings and photographs simply rich with surface detail and subtle impact.

Sheryl Piere