San Louis Opibso, CA
With an experimental approach and a variety of organic and inorganic elements: salts and minerals, earth pigments and metals, solvents, polymers, ink, and oils and acrylic paints Sheryl Daane boils and pours; layers on and etches away. Strokes and scratches appear to be exposed from underneath layers of ice and stone giving the work detail and depth. Metals float gently across, transparent layers entrap movement underneath, and the minerals dry and crystallize to create an ice-like surface. “Instead of focusing on the landscape as a whole, I find beauty in the details and random patterning in nature”. This fascination with alchemy is evident in her work. Utilizing an array of natural elements: salts, minerals, and powdered earth pigments she strives to capture the essence of our natural environment. There is no plan; the work takes on a life of its own. I use color, line, texture and movement to engage the viewer from every angle. I strive to create work that is ephemeral and evocative, to embrace the fragility of the earth’s current state, and to help bring that beauty into spaces where we live and work.
Sheryl Daane Chesnut received a Bachelor in Fine Art from UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara. Although she now works full time in fine art, her years in design are evident in the color, composition and balance of her paintings.
