Sherry Needle

Like most artists, I have always found endless hours of entertainment in drawing. Even when I was very young, the satisfaction of producing a creative piece was thrilling and it and drove me to hone the skills that would help me to further my quest.

After attending the State University of Iowa and The American Academy of Art, Chicago, I pursued a career in graphic arts. I started work in Chicago and continued in Atlanta. After a few years working 9 to 5ish, I was able to freelance my art while raising my family.

Atlanta was building the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and since I was raised on going to museums, I had to be a part of the new venture. Fortunately, I was hired by the molding and casting department and it opened my eyes to the world of model making, murals and dioramas. After that contract, I was fortunate to freelance numerous creative exhibits throughout Georgia with another Pen Woman, Mozelle Funderburk.

It was then that my interest in painting and sculpture returned and my passion for representational art was rekindled. I started studying with nationally renowned artists such as Albert Handel, Armand Cabrera, Marc Hansen, Yugi Wang, David Leffel, and local artist Marc Chatov. I continue to refine my paintings and sculpture in plein air, portraiture, still life and that most classical of artistic subjects, the human figure. Awards in national and local exhibits fuel my drive.

Portraiture came to the forefront when the Fine Arts League of Atlanta, of which I am a charter member, started an ambitious project called “Art From the Heart.” The portraits of Georgia’s soldiers who had fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan were presented as gifts to the families as a small token of our gratitude. To date, this has been the most meaningful thing that I have done with my art and I feel honored to have participated in such a worthy cause. I continue to challenge myself in sculpture and oil painting in hopes of getting it right

Featured Member – Sherry Needle