Artworks by Cheryl Mathieson

Once I discovered plein air (outdoor) painting, nothing was the same. A morning spent watching the sun and clouds change the landscape in front of my eyes while I work to capture the spirit of it with paint, is exciting yet very peaceful. This experience then carries over to the studio. There I use my outdoor studies a guide for larger studio paintings. I use oil paint or gouache for these outdoor studies, often beginning with charcoal drawings to work out value and composition. In the studio, I find oil paint works beautifully to create soft, expressive stories of the elusive quality of light on objects. While plein air paintings are usually created quickly to capture an interesting light pattern, object relationship, or feeling, studio paintings are an opportunity to explore and interpret. There I clarify what I am trying to communicate to the viewer in a more reflective process and indulge in the sensuous nature of oil paint.