March 22, 2021 |

Artist Interview - Sherry Lee

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Sherry Lee and I’m a watercolor and gouache artist specializing in painted florals, plants, and buildings.

Why do you do what you do?

Art brings me joy and being able to see my work on products and being enjoyed by others is super exciting! I also love inspiring others to embrace their artistic side and use art as an outlet for relaxing and self-care.

What inspires your art?

My parent’s luscious backyard and places I travel to. I love painting plants and flowers and my parent’s backyard is filled with all sorts of flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees!

How and when did you get into art?

I’ve been drawing since I could hold a crayon but started to explore watercolors in 2015 when I designed my own wedding invitations and gouache in 2018.

How has your practice changed over time?

Over time I’ve found that it’s a lot easier and more enjoyable to paint without any photo references or guides. I love going with the flow and painting whatever I feel works at the moment instead of trying to recreate a sketch or cool photo I took while on vacation. It feels more time-consuming and stressful constantly referencing something while painting.

What’s your favorite piece of art that you’ve created? Why?

My favorite pieces of art are my lemons and oranges because they were fun to paint and I love the vibrant colors and freshness these paintings exude.

What’s the best piece of art advice you’ve been given?

You don’t need the most expensive art materials to create amazing art.

What’s one art tip/technique you can share with us that you find really helpful?

Have two cups of water to clean your brushes in while painting! This really helps get all of the paint off the brush before dipping it into another color.

Do you have any secret tips or techniques you use to salvage a piece when you make a mistake?

White gouache is magical for covering up mess-ups or fixing small things. I treat it like white-out.

What is your favorite Strathmore paper? Why?

300 Series Watercolor cold press paper because it’s great for beginners and it’s the very first watercolor paper I used when learning how to paint!

What art materials could you not live without?

A good paintbrush and gouache.

What types of colors are you drawn to for your art and why?

I’m typically drawn to pastels and any vibrant color palettes because I love color and experimenting with painting flowers and plants in unexpected colors.