Brooke Sheridan

Until recently, I exclusively painted portraits, and relied fairly heavily on intellect and the controlled communication between my head and my hands. As I work in a more abstract way, I am learning to trust my intuition. I remain aware of that intuition while I paint, allowing it to emerge through the work alongside more intellectual choices. I find now that I am not only motivated by the human form, but by landscape, as well.

The expressions I find in a face, the gestures of the body, and the details of posture of an individual connect us collectively beyond circumstance, identity, or environment. I recognize myself in my subjects the same way I position myself as a viewer/participant in my landscapes.

The distinction between portrait and landscape feels indefinite. Both are records of presence: evidence of a body, a place, and an experience. I am interested in the moments when observation becomes interpretation, and the visible world becomes something more personal.