We're so happy to introduce you to a new artist here at Huff Harrington Fine Art - and we think you'll be as mesmerized with her work as we are.
Meet Sherrie!
Meet Sherrie Levine, a landscapist whose moody paintings are all about capturing the essence and spirit of a place, rather than its exact location. Plays on light and color, clever strokes of pigment and an unerring sense of composition connect you instantly - and very emotionally - to her painting.
Sherrie's a native of Georgetown, South Carolina and she received her degree from the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota. After graduating, she spent a decade in Atlanta working for ad agencies and art departments before moving to Nashville.
HHFA: Wow, Sherrie: your paintings really take us places! We want to plunk down and just BE in them. They're so restful and serene - and that's very much needed right now. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your art:
SL: well, it started back in high school. I took an art class when I was a senior and one day my art teacher came up to me and said, "You should go to art school." My reply was "I thought all artists were starving." He said "you wouldn't starve!" So I took his advice and the rest is history. He followed me on Facebook a few years back and I got the chance to thank him for that advice, because it changed my life!
Mystique, 36 x 36
HHFA: Are you professionally trained? SL: Yes, I went to the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota in 1981. I majored in Graphic Design and Illustration. After graduating, I moved to Atlanta where I worked in advertising for 10 years. Later, I married and moved to Nashville. In 1995, I took a painting class in Nashville and began refocusing my energy on painting.
HHFA: What medium do you paint in? SL: I use oils and I prefer to paint on oil primed linen.
Breaking Storm, 36 x 36
HHFA: How did you develop your very distinctive style? SL: My style has evolved over the years. I was introduced to painting outdoors by a plein-air painting group in Nashville. I took outdoor workshops with as many good instructors as I could, sometimes traveling to Italy and France to learn from the best. I wanted my work to be cohesive no matter what the subject matter and learned that a limited palette was key to a unified painting.
Over the past few years, I discovered that I could not always travel to pain, so I started to paint the lake where we have a lake house.
I like to pick the times of day that are just after sunset or overcast days because I want a sense of calm and serenity on my walls - now more than ever.
Quiet Reflections, 36 x 48
HHFA: Nature plays a big part in your choice of subject matter. Can you fill us in on the how’s and why’s? SL: Growing up on the east coast of South Carolina in the low country, I was inspired by the beaches and marsh scenes that surrounded me.
Hidden Treasure, 48 x 36
HHFA: Are you a plein air painter or a studio painter? SL: I am a contemporary impressionist painter with an alla-prima style! I love the spontaneity and energy of plein air painting, but when I paint indoors, I like to paint all at once from start to finish in one sitting to get that same spontaneity.
HHFA: favorite artists? SL: Barbara Flowers, Maggie Siner and Geoffrey Johnson. They are all big influences on my work and I've studied with Barbara and Maggie.
HHFA: Where is your studio and what does it look like? SL: My studio is in my home. I have lots of windows for natural light and lots of room for painting big. I love to enlarge my smaller plein air works and studies there.
This precious pooch is Summer. "She's been my studio mate for 11 years and I've tripped over her many times!" says Sherrie.
HHFA: Do you listen to music while you paint? SL: Sure, if I am well into a piece that’s working, music can be so uplifting. What kind? A mix of chill, alternative and R&B.
Sherrie's studio
HHFA: How do you structure your painting days? Very rigid like a job or as the creativity or inspiration hit you? SL: I work on some aspect of my art career every day. Some days are full studio painting days when the inspiration hits and others are spent working on updating my website and social media pages.
HHFA: Three favorite painters of all time? SL: Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro and Geoffrey Johnson (HHFA: ooooh, our faves, too!)
HHFA: Favorite art museum? SL: Musee d’Orsay, it had the largest Monet paintings I’ve ever seen! (HHFA: you're definitely a girl after our own hearts!)
HHFA: Favorite vacay/happy spot and why? SL: Tims Ford Lake in Tennessee. It is the most pristine lake between Nashville and Chattanooga that is still a well-kept secret. Our kids have learned how to ski and wake skate (or surf) there. It's where we all have made lifelong friends and where we can escape for fresh air and sunsets that are different every single night.
Silver Haze, 12 x 12
Sherrie, we're so thrilled you're with us and we love that we're kicking off a new year with your work. Can't wait for our clients to fall in love!
Come by and see Sherrie's work in person at our little gallery or right here online. We think you'll agree she transports us all in the nicest way to serene, calm and beautiful places.
Ta ta.
