Biography
Sheila Kramer is a painter who draws inspiration from the landscape and sky, from her experiences as a pilot and , science educator, and from her many travels around the world. She received her MFA from Kent State University and an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University. Kramer is also a licensed single engine pilot. She has been the recipient of several artist in residencies including Tyrone Guthrie in Annaghmakerrig, Ireland; the BAU Institute in Otranto, Italy; Edward Albee Foundation in Montauk, LI; Saltonstall Foundation in Ithaca, New York; and Brisons Vior in Cornwall, England. Her paintings are included in the American Embassy Collection in Washington, DC and in numerous private collections in the United States and Europe.
She maintains a studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn and at the family airplane hangar in western Iowa.
Artists Statement
In a Chinese garden, water reflects the sky, and therefore is constantly changing, but even a gentle wind can soften or erase the reflection. Shifting changes in light have intrigued me since I was a child growing up in the Midwest. As a young woman, I learned how to fly single engine airplanes and these experiences of flying long hours in various weather conditions are paramount to my practice as an artist. The constant changes in weather have become my inspiration and imagery. The changes in the atmosphere are personal records of light as a physical changing presence. Records of time, memory, and emotional experiences are found in the process of recapturing the passing ephemeral moment. Reflections on water, and sky are the foundations of a meditative process, one that transforms the tangible and the intangible. The paintings are intended for the viewer to wander through the composition finding pleasure in the subtly of light and color. They are a slow contemplative walk through the sky and water below.
Atmospheric events are what inspires my painting practice. Shifting changes in light are records for contemplation. As a young woman, I learned how to fly single engine airplanes and these experiences of flying long hours in various weather conditions are experiences that I draw from as imagery evolves in the painting process. Through layers of paint and veils of color, deep space is created to draw the viewer in for a close look. Often, the image has an aerial perspective emphasizing tranquility. The paintings are intended for the viewer to wander through the composition finding pleasure in the subtly of light and color. There is poetry in the floating layers of color and line as the viewer takes a slow, contemplative walk, through the sky and water below.