Preserving what the human eye can see through the creations of our star of the week
Cher Pruys
“To take my inner visions with my hands and create a work of art for you, the viewer… That is the ultimate in self-expression.” – Cher Pruys.
Cher Pruys – Star Of The Week
“In Retrospect” by Cher Pruys – Star Of The Week
WAS THERE A PIVOTAL MOMENT WHEN YOU DECIDED TO FOLLOW YOUR PATH AS AN ARTIST?
“I wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember! My path through Hyperrealism started with a fascination with photo-realism as I can remember. When I was four, I spent hours with a pencil and sketch pad, sketching anything in my world that caught my eye. Even at that young age, I was fascinated with producing what my vision was seeing with the pencil. Through the years, I progressed through photo-realism into the world of Hyperrealism, where I have found my true artistic passion. That said, if you can draw and paint well, you should be able to paint anything you choose to paint with good results.
I also am a musician, playing both the piano and guitar, and I have been teaching for 35 years. With music, one can evoke emotion in their audience by way of sound, so translating that to painting seemed like a logical step allowing me to evoke emotion in my viewers, by sight, with a line, a swirl, or a color.”
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK FOR US?
“Unlike many contemporary artists who choose to repeat themselves in subject matter, I find a strong desire to change my subjects continuously. I find excitement, beauty, and interest in everyday life, from crushed cans with their fantastic shine and reflective surface to a bag of apples ripe for tasting and glistening inside the plastic bag. To find beauty in seemingly trivial objects that are a part of our everyday lives is so rewarding.”
WHAT DOES YOUR WORK AIM TO SAY?
“My paintings of people, especially children, allow me to recapture childhood’s magic and express my innermost feelings in a nonverbal way. I aim to bring joy to my audience, as well as to help them find beauty in the most mundane of subjects. I want my art to evoke warm, happy, and hopeful feelings in my viewers.”
“Miss Virginia” by Cher Pruys – Star Of The Week
HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR WORK FITS WITHIN SOCIETY IN OUR PRESENT TIMES?
“We are in very tumultuous times…From my vast array of subject matter, I touch upon the present times; whether I am portraying a child fighting starvation in Africa, to polar bears in their disappearing habitat, I make a statement. I especially enjoyed many cityscape pieces I did during the peak of the COVID lockdowns that portray the empty, desolate streets of usually bustling cities.”
WHEN LOOKING BACK, WHAT ARTWORKS COME TO MINDA THAT MOST RELATE TO YOUR LIFE STORY?
“As an artist, I often find myself excited about the new piece I am working on, but I have a connection to several of my paintings for various reasons.
“Catching Snowflakes” is a piece that rekindles memories of winter days as a child, tongue out, waiting for the feel of the cold snowflake melting as it lands.
“Entranced” is another piece that brought me back to my ballet days, with dreams of being center stage as a ballerina. Finally, “Innocence” speaks to me of childhood’s pure, clean, unbiased outlook before the journey through life puts its hooks into us and takes the magic away.’’
WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?
“From history, Michelangelo as he was a superior talent, excelling in so many art forms. Present day, it would be Hyperrealism artists. However, there are so many that I admire and am influenced by, and I can’t begin to name them!’’
“Catching Snowflakes,” Acrilic by Cher Pruys – Star Of The Week
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?
“I spend countless hours photographing my subject matter, which allows me to get close and personal with the subject. Then I review what I have captured and pick my favorites to sketch out and develop my eventual piece. Once decided on, I do a highly detailed drawing. Then I start laying the base down with light washes, allowing me to see where the light and shadows will fall. Then I begin to layer and layer and layer the paint on to build my subject from a flat image to one that I have manipulated to have illusionistic depth, filled with visual, spiritual, and cultural flavors, all on a flattened surface with a three-dimensional look!”
WHAT VISUAL REFERENCES DO YOU DRAW UPON IN YOUR WORK?
“Oh, where to begin? First is texturing because studying textures dramatically improves the quality of one’s work. The second is Gestures. It is of the utmost importance when portraying human and animal subjects! Color, of course, is another. Finally, the visual reference I find most vital is Light, how it dances off shiny surfaces and renders familiar images into two spectacular visions beckoning to be painted.”
ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS?
“I have a solo show in the works in my area, and I am very excited about a few new series of paintings that I am working on. Several projects are being presented to me, and I am picking and choosing what I find the most appealing.”
Visit this artist’s website and discover more art by our Star of The Week!
artbycher.ca
