Sheryl Mercure

Sheryl Mercure’s career path to becoming a fine artist may not be conventional but everything along the way has contributed to the depth of her painting. Upon receiving her MBA, she worked in software sales for a high tech company in Silicon Valley. After a few years, she decided to pursue her dream of being a full-time artist so she headed to New York City to study decorative painting and interior faux finish techniques. She launched her own business in 1992 creating Venetian plaster and faux finishes for high-end interiors. This allowed her to fully develop her natural affinity for color and design.

Mercure began experimenting with fine art painting in 2003, first with acrylic, then mixed media, encaustic (wax) and oils. Her contemporary abstract paintings are inspired by nature, color, form and texture. She strives to create work that will evoke emotion and allow the viewer to bring his or her own interpretation to the work.

“Abstract work was a natural progression from my interior finishing work,” says Mercure. “It evolved from my ability to use color to create mood. I used color and texture on walls to create an emotional feeling in a room. Now, I use those same elements to evoke emotion on canvas. 

In 2009, Mercure decided to leave San Francisco and return to her native Colorado to pursue fine art full-time. Her paintings are often ethereal while her mixed media work invites more interpretation.

“I love this landscape. It inspires me. I’m not trying to literally create a landscape but rather to capture the feeling I have when I see something that inspires me. Painting gives me amazing pleasure and a true sense of joy and peacefulness. I also love the sensuality of the work, the smell of the bee’s wax I use in my encaustic work and the texture of the materials on canvas. I feel completely suspended in time and space when I paint.”

Although she has done several commissioned pieces, Mercure finds the greatest joy in creating work she wants. She has exhibited at the Hotel Biron and April in Paris in San Francisco. Her paintings can also be found in a number of private collections.