Short Bio
I closed my neurology practice in 2022 to dedicate more time to painting. I primarily use watercolor and acrylic and am constantly learning how to do this.
Statement
I use watercolor, acrylic, and gouache to paint landscapes, portraits, ocean scenes, and abstracts. As an art major I was mortified to get a B- in water color, so this became my nemesis for 22 years. The late Dorothy Voorhees taught me the basics of watercolor in 2002 and taught me to see the world with an artist’s eye. Once I learned how to paint watercolor correctly I became excited to have time to play in my studio after taking care of neurology patients all day. But when both of my parents died in 2018, I found myself drawn to paint wild acrylic abstracts. Over time this drive transitioned to calmer landscapes and seascapes which I realized were much easier to correct than watercolor.
I paint both as a form of escapism and a way to really observe my subjects in a way that simply looking at them doesn’t allow. I love the way paint interacts with water, and the feel of soft acrylic spreading over a canvas. Watercolor gives me transparent layering for portraits that I don’t have in acrylic, but Acrylic and Gouache give me more opaque brilliance for landscapes and abstracts. Watercolor allows me to create unusual and immediate effects with water and I always experiment with techniques and media. I have been accused of having such diverse interests in experimenting that some of my work is not recognizable as mine.
Adopting my daughter from Vietnam in2002 inspired me to paint people and portraits, starting with her. My first portrait of her as a young child playing in Vietnam hangs today over my desk as I type this. I am inspired to paint landscapes and seascapes because I am a hiker and a traveler. I love the problem solving of painting and find myself analyzing my paintings as I hike.
My intention as an art major in college was to inspire students to use art as a way to improve their confidence and self-esteem. My intention as an artist now is the express my view of the world in a way others may not have seen before, but also to have fun with it.
My art can be seen on my website https:sharrisart.com
Biography
Sally Harris MD MS NMWS FAAN is a neurologist who was always an artist. As a child she was chosen for a gifted art program in Pittsburgh. She received a BA cum laude in Art Education and held a solo exhibit of her portfolio which was primarily drawing. She didn’t find a teaching job in the Denver area so she went directly to graduate school and got her Master’s Degree in Computer Science with a minor in Exercise Physiology. She failed the oral examination the first time, so instead of taking a job like her classmates, she traveled alone with a backpack through Europe for 3 months. As a computer scientist in the Boulder area, she found many opportunities to draw and paint, and set up a small studio in her living room. After 4 years, the company she worked for declared bankruptcy, so she accepted a job in Los Alamos. This job allowed her to travel internationally a great deal, and to participate in many sports. She set up her studio in the stairwell but painted little. She had a medical event which taught her that she was not fulfilled by her current career. She decided she really wanted to be a doctor. She moved to Albuquerque, and after many more years of study became a board certified neurologist. A couple of her patients were artists and encouraged her to get back into painting, so after she completed boards, she joined a beginner watercolor class in 2001. She joined the NMWS and RGAA, and now paints in both watercolor and acrylic. She has been able to sell many works and all proceeds have gone to Animal Humane.
