Where ideas become tangible.
My studio is more than a place where I make art. It is where observation, imagination, and the natural world come together.
Surrounded by the aspen parkland of Saskatchewan, I’m never far from the things that inspire my work. A horse moving through the pasture, the changing light across the prairie, an approaching storm, or a quiet moment in the landscape can all become the beginning of an idea.
From Observation to Artwork
Some pieces begin with a photograph. Others start with a sketch, a particular moment, or simply an image that stays in my mind long after I’ve seen it.
I’m drawn to character, movement, and atmosphere — the details that make a subject feel alive. My photographs often become reference material, while sketches and studies help me explore an idea before it finds its way onto paper or canvas.
The finished work may look very different from the moment that inspired it, but that original feeling is always somewhere underneath.
We've got roads ahead...
The Work in Progress
I love the part of creating that happens before a piece is finished.
There are sketches scattered across the workspace, reference photographs nearby, unfinished paintings waiting their turn, and inevitably a few experiments that don't quite work. Some ideas come together quickly. Others take considerably longer to figure out.
That process is part of the artwork.
For me, creating isn't simply about producing a finished piece. It's about following an idea far enough to discover where it wants to go.
...From the experience to the canvas.
More Than One Medium
I enjoy exploring different ways of expressing an idea rather than being limited to a single medium.
My work includes painting, soft pastel, drawing, and photography, with each medium offering something different. Pastel allows me to explore texture and atmosphere. Photography lets me capture a fleeting moment exactly as I see it. Painting gives me the freedom to interpret rather than simply record.
Whatever the medium, the goal remains the same: to capture something that makes me stop, look, and feel.
I'm endlessly drawn to the drama and beauty of prairie skies.
Inspired by the Natural World
Living in Saskatchewan has given me an endless source of inspiration.
The prairies aren't always quiet or gentle. They can be dramatic, unpredictable, and breathtaking — especially when the sky begins to change. My fascination with storms and weather has become part of my creative process, as has simply paying attention to the landscape around me.
And then there are the horses.
They have been part of my artistic life for as long as I can remember. Their movement, strength, personality, and unmistakable spirit continue to find their way into my work.
Some mornings feel like they belong in another world.
In the studio, all of those things come together — the photographs, the sketches, the memories, the landscape, and the moments that caught my attention in the first place.
Every piece begins somewhere.
Sometimes with a brush.
Sometimes with a camera.
Sometimes with a horse standing in a field and making me stop to look.
I’ll be sharing some of my latest inspirations and works in progress on social media from time to time. Be sure to follow along, you’ll find the links below.
— Sheri Gordon