Sheri in the local paper

[liziggy]

The local sunday paper had an article about Sheri and her artwork in it. It is a good article about her art and the websites/online guilds she is involved in and or created. Unfortunatly, the paper is not available in a digital format or I would have linked to it for everyone to see.

Way to go Sheri!! Nice to see local artists getting some publicity.

[sheri]

heheeh Good thing it's not available online. :P Me'n'my mug, in full friggin color, half a friggin page of it. Egads! But they did do a great write up, gotta love free publicity! :D

[auric]

hehe... congrats! :)

[Crazy Pavarotti Man]

As soon as I saw "Sheri in the local Paper" I thought, "Uh oh, who did she run over?" :p

[sheri]

Oh ye of little faith :P

[JAG!]

Well, I guess that "roving reporter" bit from years ago wasn't that far off, huh, Sher? Conga-Rats!

[liziggy]

Your lucky that you didn't get Darlene as the writer of your article Sheri. I got her as the writer for my stint as publicist for the Fringe Festival. I don't know what's worse, her writing or her picture taking.
At least your picture looks like you, most people who saw the one about me didn't recognise who it was. I almost wondered who it was too LOL. I think she brought out the "adds 40lbs" camera just special for me.
Yours is a good picture and an even better article. Hope you get some commissions off the writeup

[sheri]

Yeah, this writer does great work indeed, lots of artists have commented how well she writes.

I guess I *could* post the article here. hehehe (photo is attached)

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Dalmeny Artist Creates Online Guild Connecting Equine Artists
For over 10 years equine artist Sheri Gordon has been producing professional web sites for small businesses and online galleries. Her home-based business, Black Horse Design, specializes in creating sites for artists, writers and equestrian businesses.
“I particularly enjoy working with artists—they are friendly and down-to-earth. Plus there’s the bonus of being able to see their work. Chit-chatting with them while I’m setting up their site always inspires me to sit down at the easel and paint,” she says from her home in Dalmeny.
Gordon is the webmaster for Horses in Art magazine as well as for the American Academy of Equine Art. She is also the producer and director of the world-renowned Equine Art Guild, an online community which connects horse lovers and artists around the globe.
The Equine Art Guild sprang from an international newsletter called the Canadian Association of Equine Artists and Supporters. The newsletter, based in Ontario, was a means for equine artists to keep in touch with one another. When word went out in 1995 that the newsletter was being disbanded, Gordon decided to intervene.
“My first reaction was, ‘No, we can’t let this happen.’ So at that point I made the decision to take in on. The internet was just starting to become big about that time, so I set up a web site. We started out with a handful of artists. One thing led to another and here we are today, 10 years later, 260 members and growing,” says Gordon.
The Equine Art Guild serves a dual purpose. “I set up a private members area with a discussion forum and email list. So in an instant we can send out a message, ‘I need help with this,’ and the membership is right there to respond. You’ve got a voice—an unlimited number of artists right at your fingertips. That became the core of what the guild is all about.”
There is also the public side of the guild whereby visitors looking for art can come and browse. The site is set up so viewers can search for art from a listing of artists or look up artists by their breed specialty, discipline specialty, medium specialty or geographic location. “With so many artists under one roof, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. Many of our members have commented on how valuable the site has been,” she says.
Gordon says a friendly, open, and honest approach has gone a long way towards the success of the website. “Right from the beginning I wanted to stress that everybody is equal. We’re all artists, we’re all at different stages, yet we all have the same doubts and fears. Even the experienced artists need others to encourage them, give them new ideas. It seems to be working quite well. People seem to appreciate this friendly Saskatchewan mentality,” she adds.
Gordon grew up in Moose Jaw and began drawing horses at a very young age. “I’ve always been a horse-lover and a dreamer. As a little girl, I wanted a horse so bad, but owning one was out of the question. Drawing horses became an outlet—it allowed me to ‘have’ a horse or at least daydream about it.”
Although she had no plans for an art career after completing high school, Gordon continued sketching. When a workmate saw her artwork and suggested she submit work to a competition, she agreed to give it a try. “That got my name out there and made me realize I should be doing something instead of just doodling.”
She began frequenting the library where she studied art books for style and technique. If a particular artist’s work appealed to her, she would experiment until she’d mastered the procedure involved. She initially started working in colored pencils, but found that to be too limiting. While she’s also worked with acrylics and oils, pastels are the medium she feels most comfortable with today. “Pastels are great for the type of thing I do with animals—it has a natural, fur-feel to it.
“Leslie Harrison is an amazing pastel artist whose work I greatly admire. She does horses and wildlife, much like me. She’s got such a life to her work—I’m trying to get to that level.”
Although basically self-taught, Gordon has attended workshops such as those put on by the Saskatchewan Wildlife Art Association, an organization she has found to be supportive and helpful.
Last fall Gordon attended an art retreat in Yellowstone hosted by Robert Bateman. She was inspired by his humble, down-to-earth approach, and found the event enlightening. “He’s very effective at making a scene realistic without doing very detailed work. From a distance it looked beautifully detailed, but when you looked close, you could see it was all very loose strokes. He has the skill to say a lot with very little.
“He demonstrated to our group how he gathers reference material. Using a small digital camera, he’d shoot things of interest to him—a pattern on a rock or the bark on a tree. To get a correct sense of scale, he’d take his glasses off and set them on the item.
“He also gave a talk about how he worked his way up, and the ups and downs he went through. It affirmed to me that, hey, I’m not so far off the track,” she says.
Gordon has exhibited her equine and wildlife art at both local and international shows. Her highly realistic work is in private collections across North America. She teaches one-on-one classes from of her home in Dalmeny.
Gordon says art fulfills a creative need in her, helps her relax, and daydream just a little. “I think the people out there who dream the same dreams I do can relate to my work, which captures some of the imagery of these beautiful animals.”
For more information on Sheri Gordon’s art, visit www.blackhorsedesign.com (http://www.blackhorsedesign.com/). To view the Guild’s web site, go to www.equineartguild.com (http://www.equineartguild.com/).

[trina]

Wow! Great article, great picture! And a very good description of all your work! Congratulations, Sheri! :)