By: Karen L. McCarty
Gerri Green has been painting since she was a child of ten. Encouraged by both parents; her mother supplied paint-by-number sets for her enjoyment. When Gerri was 12 years old her father gave her a set of oil paints. She has painted ever since and today paints six to seven hours every day. Gerri states, “An Artist needs to work all the time in order to improve.”
Growing up in Canada, she developed an appreciation for the beauty of nature and learned to paint professionally with Canadian Artists. She studied the work of a group of seven Canadian Artists, who traveled across the country in the 1920’s, painting landscapes on small canvases in Plein-Air style. They would then return to the studio to re-create their scenes on large canvases. Gerri describes herself as an Art History Nerd. She studies and views art daily and is then inspired to paint her next scene.
Gerri’s choice of colors and her unique style make her work strikingly beautiful. She tells me a tree, for instance, isn’t always brown and green. She paints in a representational style. Her art portrays real-life objects, in varying degrees of naturalism …. She explains “even when a piece portrays odd colors and exaggerated figures, they are still recognizable and real-world objects, making them representational.”
Gerri enjoys “the challenge of decoding a scene.” She first considers the shapes and colors of elements. She uses small brushes to outline areas of the painting. Then she works on the details; small nooks and crannies, streams, perhaps in blues, grays and greens. She says she’s learned, “not to consider what viewers will like”, her mantra “just do what you do.” Her landscapes pop with color and leave a lasting impression in the viewer’s mind.
During Covid, when, it seemed the world shut down Gerri stayed motivated by capturing the beauty of the South Carolina mountains. Much of Gerri’s art-work today reflects gorgeous familiar local scenes, that command the viewers attention.
At home Gerri’s life is immersed in art. She has surrounded herself with beautiful artistic treasures. Her favorite piece pays homage to her grand-daughter; a painting of a young girl picking apples at Sky-top.
For a rare treat, plan a trip to Travelers Rest, to the White Rabbit Fine Art Gallery on Main Street. There, you will fall in love with the work of Gerri Green.
Locally well known, Ms. Green’s work can be seen in South Carolina galleries from Simpsonville, through the Greenville area to Seneca, where a private art show is scheduled at BRAC during July. Visit her on Facebook, Instagram or on her website at GerriGreenPaints.com.
