Sheri Meldrum remembers the first piece of art that she fell in love with. It was a landscape painting her grandmother had in her living room. As a child, Sheri would stare at the painting and imagine one day visiting such a place. It was then she realized the power art had to spark a person’s imagination and transport people to different places and times.
Over the years Sheri became driven by her desire to create and studied interior design and architecture. She assumed art would be her hobby, and that she could never make it as a “real artist.” But Sheri’s passion never wavered and eventually, she returned to school to study art and pursue it as a career.
Today, Sheri has an unexpected business partner –– her husband, Ralph. Together they make weavings and wall sculptures out of copper and mixed media.
“He comes with the engineering background that I lack so together we make a great team,” Sheri says. “He and I create most of these pieces together. We have separate studios and hand off pieces back and forth to each other.”
Their work has evolved over time, but if one thing has remained constant, it is Sheri’s ability to draw on past experiences while ensuring each new piece feels fresh and unique.
“Many years ago I did a lot of textile arts,” Sheri says. “Now I’m working mostly in copper and weaving the copper which is really fun.”
Sheri finds inspiration both in nature and the materials she works with. Copper, being an unpredictable metal, sometimes takes its own path. To Sheri, that’s part of the adventure –– seeing where the materials take her.
“I kind of have to go with it,” Sheri says. “It also inspires me because copper is such a rich, warm metal to work in.”
What Sheri has learned over the years is that by sticking with your passion and immersing yourself in creativity, it is possible to build a successful career as an artist. Even now she says being a part of the Celebration of Fine Art is a feather in her cap.
“What drew me to the Celebration of Fine Art is that it is a very highly-juried show,” Sheri says. “I think anybody who is an artist who would be interested in doing this should apply. It’s a wonderful experience.”
She also has advice for art lovers: Come to the show!
“You need to come and experience it,” Sheri says. “We have artists working on their crafts so you can watch things being made, which is really fun. You don’t often get to see that. Don’t miss it!”
See more of Sheri’s story below: