Sheryl Hughes has been taking photographs for many years and uses those pictures as inspiration for her art work.  You will find her at the 24th Annual Festival of the Arts in Deerfield Beach January 25 & 26th.  Sheryl’s colorful acrylic painting was chosen as the 2014 Festival Poster art! The Rickie Report is pleased to share the details in this article.

 

 

 

The Art of

 

Sheryl Hughes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheryl Hughes’  favorite hobbies are scuba diving and photography. She especially enjoys taking pictures of Florida’s wildlife.  When you look at her paintings, what truly amazes are the small details…the eyelashes of the elephant,  the whisped veining of the egret feathers, the brightness of the birds and the eyes of the jungle cats.

 

Sheryl Hughes is a native Californian who has in recent years relocated to Florida. She has always had a creative side. After her daughters were grown she began concentrating on painting as an outlet for her creativity.   When Sheryl began painting, she focused on oceans and lighthouses. They were peaceful places where she enjoyed spending time and taking pictures. Then in taking more and more pictures at zoos, wetlands, rice fields, and even backyards she was drawn to birds and wildlife.

 

 

 

The birds in Florida are a wonderful treat to watch and take pictures of. Sheryl can spend hours walking through wetlands, refuges and all the areas we have here that give her a world of opportunities for amazing paintings. Sheryl started traveling to different areas to seek her inspiration. She has travel up and down both the east and west coasts of the US seeking more ideas.

 

 

Turtles and sea life are other wildlife themes close to her heart. As a scuba diver for the last 10 years, Sheryl has traveled around Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico taking underwater photos. The underwater world is so amazing to Sheryl, she loves to share what she experiences with everyone through her art. Her sea turtle paintings are some of her more requested paintings. 

 

 

She has donated paintings to the Florida Wildlife Hospital & Sanctuary to help in their fundraising efforts. Several of her painting are on display at the hospital as well. Her paintings can be found in private collections, businesses and schools. She has even been asked to put her art on mailboxes and on dive mask straps. She also created a mural of an underwater scene at a school in California. 

 

 

 

 

Sheryl’s paintings have taken awards in numerous juried shows and exhibits. Locally, she placed 1^st place at Friends of Okeeheelee Nature Center. December 2013.  “Standing Egret” was also part of the Fall National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS) International Exhibition in 2013

 

 

 

 

“Birds and Beaks”  was an award winner at the Texas Wildlife Juried Art Show 2011 and has been seen at The Craft Gallery “The Art of Florida” juried exhibition.   Sheryl’s paintings are more than color.  It is the details…especially the eyes.  Sheryl’s ability to capture the essence of the bird or animal is through her canny talent in the eyes.  Sheryl found herself focusing on the eyes,  and says, “I  believe the eyes are the soul of the animal”.

 

 

As such the eyes became the focal point of her paintings. She also loves the colors you find in nature. Her painting “Birds and Beaks” came about because of both these loves. It combines the wonderful colors and eyes of all the birds. Another one of her paintings, “Red-Crested Turaco” was chosen as the cover of the European Studbook For Red-Crested Turaco, for Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, in Cotswold England. This in turn brought it to the attention of people in Angola, Southern Africa. It was used in the campaign to make the Red-Crested Turaco their national bird. 

 

 

Sheryl’s “Elephant Eye” was part of the Art Basel “ENDANGERED” Exhibit 2013 and took an award at Texas Wildlife and Animal Juried Art Show the same year.  The Rickie Report is particularly thrilled about Sheryl’s involvement in the “Endangered” Exhibit, because she saw the Call to Artists in The Rickie Report!

 

 

 

If you miss Sheryl at the Deerfield Beach Show, here is a list of her upcoming shows through July, 2014.    Sheryl enjoys doing art shows around Florida. It gives people a chance to see her art and watch her create some of her pieces. She loves to talk about what she does and the wildlife and marine life that are close to heart. 

 

 

January 25-26, 2014	Deerfield Beach Art Festival	Deerfield Beach
January 25–February 28, 2014	Flamingo Fest Juried Exhibit	Flamingo Gardens
February 2014	Great Spaces Interior Design	Pompano Beach
February 8-9, 2014	11th Annual Locals Art Sow	Marathon Keys
February 15-17, 2014	St. Stephens Art Show	Coconut Grove
March 1-2, 2014	Sarasota Wildlife Art Festival	Sarasota
March 22-23, 2014	26th Annual Festival of the Arts	Downtown Naples
April 19-20, 2014	Spring Show	Cape Canaveral
May 21 – July 21, 2014	Glass Gallery	Pembroke Pines

 

 

For more information please Contact   www.facebook.com/sherylhughesgalleries , email  Sherylhughes602@yahoo.com or visit  www.sherylhughes.com  (under construction)

 

 

For coverage of your events, to place an advertisement, or speak to Rickie about appearing in The Rickie Report, contact The Rickie Report at:

Rickie Leiter, Publisher

The Rickie Report

P.O.Box 33423

Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33420

Rickie@therickiereport.com

561-537-0291