Sherry Killingsworth

Sherry Killingsworth
FEATURE artist September 2017

A native Texan, Sherry was raised in Houston and earned a Fine Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin University. In 1988, after receiving a box of Rembrandt soft pastels as a gift, she quickly became captivated by the ease of their application and the immediacy of results. She has been fortunate to receive instruction from some of the best pastelists in the country, including Bob Rohm, Rita Kirkman, Karen Margulis, Christine Swann, Richard McKinley and Albert Handell.
Sherry retired from a career in the hospitality industry in 2013 and began to focus on her artwork full time. She is primarily a landscape artist who paints in a realistic/impressionistic style. Her work has garnered many awards in both regional and national juried shows, including Best of Show in the 2017 Art of the Pastel, Pastel Society of Southeast Texas. She is a member of the Brazos Valley Art League, Brenham Fine Arts League and the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas.

"I have always been happiest when surrounded by the beauty of the natural landscape. I find inspiration for my paintings in the fields around my home as well as the gulf coast bays and marshes of the Rockport/Fulton area. It is always exciting to set up an easel outdoors and immerse myself in the scene, but if I cannot paint on site I take photos to use as reference material back in the studio. I look for subjects where the light creates an emotional impact. I feel I have accomplished my goal for the painting if I am able to capture that mood on paper.
" Whether I am painting outdoors or in the studio, observing Mother Nature's omnipresence reminds me of my own fleeting existence in this world. As an artist, it is my hope that the viewer will sense the serenity I felt on location and tried to convey."

View Sherry's Website

in the studio

PSST:  Would you tell us about your studio setup, Sherry, and describe some of your favorite tools?
 
SHERRY:  My studio is my refuge. The moment I walk through the door I sense a coziness that is very energizing! When we built our home 6 years ago I designed the front bedroom to be my studio, with north light and a closet with flat file like shelving. The north wall has two 3’ x 5’ windows with a transom above. Another 3’ x 6’ window on the northeast wall provides a nice cool light most of the day. I work standing up at a Mabef H frame easel with an old OTT lite clamped onto the back. My favorite place is my “contemplation” sofa, where I can sit and scrutinize works in progress, which I perch on a ledge mounted on the opposite wall. Above the sofa is a framed mirror for viewing pieces in reverse. I work from photo references so my IPad is quite a useful tool. I have a “Caddie Buddy” to hold it out to the side of the easel at eye level.

Afternoon Reflections by Sherry Killingsworth

PSST:  Fields, bays and marshes seem to be your favorite subject matter. With so much expanse of view, how do you narrow your focus down?
 
SHERRY:  That can be hard! Something usually grabs my attention like a strong light and shadow pattern or beautiful colors in a sunset. I have to ask myself if the painting is about the land or the sky and put in the horizon line accordingly. There are few vertical planes in these expansive landscapes so I may choose to add a low tree line, a big marsh bush or use the sun’s reflection off the water as a focal point.

Morning Walk Durango by Sherry Killingsworth

PSST:  You love painting en plein air. What makes you decide on a specific spot? Do you work on composition and value studies when working outside?
 
SHERRY:  Again I look for something that excites me emotionally. I love being outdoors and experiencing the landscape with all my senses. It’s ideal to find a scene with a diagonal, like a road, path or water to help lead the eye into the painting. I use my fingers to make a rectangle to isolate the composition. Also the phone camera comes in handy for doing the same thing. I can even change a photo to black and white to see the values better. I usually make a quick thumbnail with four values to simplify the scene and hopefully come up with a pleasing design. Then I block in the shapes using my thumbnail and phone.

Sunset Marsh by Sherry Killingsworth

PSST:  Your paintings are drenched with bold color. Is this a process you developed over time? How do you describe your painting style and color choices?
 
SHERRY:  I think I started out using bold colors in my paintings. That’s what is so exciting about pastels to me, their gorgeous colors!  I began taking workshops with pastelist Bob Rohm in the mid 90’s. He emphasized breaking the scene down into large masses, blocking in simple shapes in three values, dark, medium and light and using the contrast between warm and cool colors to portray light. I guess my style evolved from thinking about those principles every time I approach the beginning of a new painting. I like to push the values with pretty darks that make the middle and light colors pop. I often use three colors of the same value in the sky or in the shadows to give those shapes more interest and luminosity.

Low Tide Sunset by Sherry Killingsworth. Awarded Best of Show in the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas exhibition Art of the Pastel 2017

PSST:  Your work has won awards in many competitions, Sherry, including Best of Show in PSST Art of the Pastel 2017. How do those acceptance letters make you feel? What’s your next major goal?
 
SHERRY:  It’s an honor to win an award among such a group of highly talented competitors. It’s a thrill to be recognized by my peers. Having competed in martial arts for over twenty years, I understand that you must practice each technique repeatedly until it becomes automatic. In painting, once eye hand coordination becomes automatic my mind is free to participate in the spirit of what I am trying to create. My next goal is to practice on a daily basis to continue to improve my skills.

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