When Sherri Allen attempted to apply as a new artist at First Saturday Arts Market in 2023, I wouldn\u2019t let her\u2014I just said yes.<\/p>\n
Sherri Allen\u2019s painting style could be called primitive, outsider, or folk art. I recall from when she first reached out that her website bio stated she had literally just started painting a few years before, and her paintings resonated with me immediately.<\/p>\n
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Sherri Allen, right, with a customer holding her purchased artwork at First Saturday Arts Market. (Submitted photo)<\/p>\n
She also had a consistent style, from portraits of women and flowers to other still lifes, and most importantly, there was a story in them. I wasn\u2019t just looking at art; the art was telling me something. After each market, Sherri posts photos of happy customers on social media. I\u2019m thrilled others see what I do, and now you get to meet her here.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your background and what sparked your passion for creating art?<\/p>\n
For most of my life, I was a workaholic. I measured my success by achievement and security. My parents divorced when I was very young, we were very poor, and my mother struggled with addiction. From an early age, my goal was simple: I wanted to be different. I wanted stability. I wanted respectability.<\/p>\n
So I worked hard\u2014in school, in my career, in everything. I probably would have stayed in that mindset if not for the COVID lockdown.<\/p>\n
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Don’t Talk to Me Until I’ve Had My Coffee\u00a0by Sherri Allen (submitted photo)<\/p>\n
While that season was difficult for many, it became a time of healing for me. I came to terms with my family story, forgave my mother, and began reading\u00a0The Artist\u2019s Way\u00a0by Julia Cameron. I didn\u2019t just read it\u2014I committed to the practices: morning pages, reflection, listening to creative nudges.<\/p>\n
One of those nudges came from my husband. One day he showed me a folder he had kept of playful drawings I had made with our grandsons. I was shocked he had saved them. I was even more shocked to realize\u2014maybe I could actually draw.<\/p>\n
I started taking drawing classes on YouTube, then started painting, and I haven\u2019t stopped since.<\/p>\n
Now I draw or paint every single day. I love my art. I believe my first responsibility as an artist is to love and nurture my work so it can grow. I never speak negatively about it\u2014I treat it like raising a child.<\/p>\n
I love my family deeply. When I\u2019m not working my full-time corporate job or making art, I\u2019m most likely with them.<\/p>\n
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Black Pepper by Sherri Allen (submitted photo)<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been married for over 30 years\u2014which still feels impossible to say\u2014and we love to travel, spend time with our dog, and play with our grandchildren.<\/p>\n
What are you currently working on?<\/p>\n
Because I work full-time, I create in the margins\u2014a daily drawing here, a portrait on the weekend. I work quickly and tend to produce many small pieces. I like to call them \u201cwonderful one-offs.\u201d<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t often work in formal collections. I paint what I feel drawn to in the moment. Faces and flowers are recurring themes\u2014I\u2019m endlessly fascinated by both.<\/p>\n
In addition to my personal work, I\u2019m currently teaching a monthly workshop as part of\u00a0Awakening Creativity\u00a0by Carrie Schmitt. Supporting other women as they reconnect with their creativity has become an important part of my practice.<\/p>\n
What one lesson from\u00a0The Artist\u2019s Way\u00a0would you tell your pre-artist self?<\/p>\n
One lesson that has stayed with me is this: I am a creative being. We all are.<\/p>\n
Creativity isn\u2019t reserved for a select few. It\u2019s something we can choose to nurture or ignore. When we tend to it\u2014when we show up consistently\u2014it transforms us.<\/p>\n
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Woman in Pink Suit\u00a0by Sherri Allen (submitted photo)<\/p>\n
What one thing would surprise people about you?<\/p>\n
A colleague once told me, \u201cYou must have had an easy life.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t the time or place to explain that my mother struggled with addiction, that my childhood was far from easy, and that I feel lucky to be alive\u2014lucky to have built the life I have.<\/p>\n
Most people would probably be surprised by that part of my story.<\/p>\n
What are your future plans or goals?<\/p>\n
I paint because it brings me joy. It feels like prayer\u2014a way of connecting with my Creator, and it changes me for the better.<\/p>\n
Right now, the words guiding my life and work are\u00a0Attention, Devotion, and Faith.<\/p>\n
Attention\u2014to small miracles and everyday beauty.Devotion\u2014to the practice of showing up consistently.Faith\u2014that the creative spirit is leading me somewhere meaningful, even if I can\u2019t yet see where.<\/p>\n
My goal is simple: to keep painting and remain open to opportunity. I trust that if I continue to show up with attention, devotion, and faith, doors will open\u2014and my job is to be brave enough to walk through them.<\/p>\n
Meet Sherri at First Saturday Arts Market and see more on her website at\u00a0sherriallenart.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0on Instagram\u00a0at instagram.com\/sherriallenrocks_art\/<\/a><\/p>\n Cohen is an artist and founder of the First Saturday Arts Market. Visit ArtValet.com<\/a> for more.<\/p>\n