June Featured Artist Peg Sheridan

     Artist Peg Sheridan lives in Staunton, Virginia.  She has 40 years of experience in painting watercolors.  She enjoys sharing her experience, and has been teaching art classes for 30 years. 

     Peg is a signature member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society and the Virginia Watercolor Society, and is active in several other arts organizations.  She has won several awards for her paintings, including “Best Watercolor” in Plein Air Magazine’s August 2021 salon competition.  Three of her paintings were also in the top 100 of Watercolour Magazine’s competition “Watercolor Sketches Done on Location”, Issue #50.   In 2021, Peg was awarded the Louisa Arts Center Award of Artistic Merit.

     This show combines Peg’s love for both art and nature.  She worked as a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service in the West, and had many encounters with wild creatures.  Later, Peg pursued her dream of painting and teaching watercolors.  When she got involved in plein air painting (painting outside), she knew she had found her passion.  Now, Peg spends time painting outdoors in Virginia, the U.S., and overseas.  She also teaches studio and plein air watercolor painting.  

     Peg enjoys the transparency of watercolors, the way they flow across the paper, and how they often surprise her.  She describes her process like this. “I usually start with a small sketch.  I plan my colors, often using a limited palette of three to five colors.  I often wet my watercolor paper, and quickly put in washes of color.  When that dries, I start adding details, lights, and darks.   When the light, colors, and atmosphere of the day are captured, I stop.  I hope that my work inspires you to notice the wonders of nature around you every day.”