Filled with emotions, colors and bold style, Sherri Lewis’ landscapes pull at heartstrings.

She favors pastels and blends different mediums in her pieces; utilizing watercolors, hard and soft pastels, and even charcoal in the same piece. This careful manipulation of techniques help Sherri to create striking pieces. 

“I lived in California for 40 years I had the honor to be a student of Ginny Burdick, a well-known pastel artist on the West Coast,” Sherri Lewis began. “I always loved pastels in the past, but with Ginny as my teacher, I learned many techniques. which eventually got my work in galleries… I started out young in art. I was accepted in grade school to the Ivy Art School of Pittsburgh.. Later I went to college majored in fine art in a community college, then got accepted to Point Park Fine Art University.”

Sherri finds inspiration in walking the gorgeous landscapes around Savannah, and taking photographs, and finding beauty in the varied colors and textures of the scenery. 

“Lighting is extremely important to me, so I prefer to take my walks in the early morning or late evening. Every day, I get inspired by something beautiful…I feel so blessed to be in this artist paradise,” smiled Sherri.

Throughout her lifetime as an artist, she has honed a careful routine. After finding the photograph that will become her pastel, Sherri creates a soft outline on the canvas, sometimes utilizing a ruler. Then, she works to balance the light, using small amounts of pastel, working to avoid overworking the piece. 

“Sometimes I use hard pastels or watercolors to manipulate the color,” she added. “I don’t mix certain soft pastels together, not all pastels get along with each other, kind of like humans. It’s always good to get a different perspective, so many times when I’m painting, I walk away then come back into the room. Sometimes I put the painting upside down.” 

Her work has been displayed in galleries, and her recent book, Going Nowhere, is available for purchase. To see more of her work,  you can reach out to her at sherrilewispoetry@ gmail.com