A Gathering of Goddesses by Sheryl Sallie
August 5-26, 2016
A Gathering of Goddesses by Sheryl Sallie
Opening reception: Friday, August 5, 5:00-9:00 PM
Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Sheryl Sallie was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and was raised in East Knoxville. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in education from Knoxville College and a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from The University of Tennessee. She was a teacher in Knoxville City School system and Knox County School system. After 35 years of teaching, she retired in 2004. She is a poet who was honored to win several poetry contests, self- published a book of her poems, and competed in several poetry slams in the area. She began painting nine years ago. She uses some of her poems as inspiration for some of her art. Some of her paintings have been exhibited at the Fountain City Art Center. She enjoys Taoist Tai Chi, cooking, and jazz. She lives in Karns with her husband Reginald.
Because I am a poet, I equate my techniques for writing poems with my techniques for painting. As a poet, I use patterns of word placement, punctuation, and line breaks to add substance and depth to my poems. A poet looks at ordinary things in extraordinary ways. Now, as a visual artist, I use acrylic paint, collage, image transfer, found objects, and words from magazines and books to create texture and substance in my artwork.
Mixed media is the ideal medium for me because it allows me to express my ideas by using everyday objects in extraordinary ways. Layering, collage, and image transfer are important components of my art.
At the moment, I am adding works to a group of paintings depicting goddesses, strong women, as I see them. Goddesses exist everywhere women gather.
Staring at a blank canvas as well as staring at a blank sheet of paper intimidates me, but I love the process of seeing where my imagination carries me. They both are enjoyable journeys. I hope the viewers will see something that will bring a smile to their faces and will touch something deep inside in some way. In order to get in contact with me about any of my works, I can be contacted at sjackie09@comcast.net.