Sheryl Daane Chesnut
Sheryl Daane Chesnut received a Bachelor in Fine Art in painting and printmaking from UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara. After graduation she worked as a graphic and product designer, and—although she now works full time in fine art—her years in design are evident in the color, composition and balance of her paintings. An avid hiker, she is inspired by the beauty in nature whether it is a myopic view of the details or an overview from a satellite image. Daane Chesnut lives and works in San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast of California and is influenced by the open hillsides, Pacific Ocean and local vineyards. Her work is sold in galleries around the United States and is in many private and corporate collections.
Artist Statement
Behind the veil of apparent randomness many of nature’s processes are highly ordered, following simple rules. Fractal properties are found in many natural phenomena: ocean waves, snowflakes, crystals, algae, and river networks. These qualities of ordered chaos find their way into my artwork. With an experimental approach and a variety of organic and inorganic elements: salts and minerals, earth pigments and metals, solvents, polymers, ink, I consider myself an alchemist on canvas. I pour, layer and etch away. Strokes and scratches appear to be exposed from underneath a veil of ice and stone giving the work detail and depth. Metals float across, transparent layers entrap movement underneath, and the minerals dry and crystallize to create an ice-like surface. I use color, line, texture and fluidity to engage the viewer from every angle. Instead of focusing on the landscape as a whole I find beauty in the details and random patterning in nature. I strive to create work that is ephemeral and evocative, to embrace the fragility of the earth’s current state, and to help bring that beauty into spaces where we live and work.