For Sheri McNerthney, color is more than pigment—it’s a living, breathing language. Through her layered watercolors and tactile weavings, she explores the dynamic relationships between hues to create luminous, meditative spaces that invite viewers to pause and feel.
 

The Foundations of Color Perception
 

McNerthney’s understanding of color was profoundly shaped by her mentor, master artist Richard Nelson. "Dick taught me how to see color," she shares. "We never see a color in isolation—it’s always perceived in relationship to the colors around it." This principle informs every piece she creates, from paintings that glow with subtle gradients to fiber works where intersecting threads form intricate, shifting palettes.

Her signature use of a limited palette—just three primary colors: yellow, magenta red, and cyan blue—demonstrates her deep trust in this relational nature of color. By layering these hues in varying values and transparencies, she achieves remarkable depth and luminosity. "I always start with yellow," McNerthney explains. "It’s like laying down sunlight. From there, I build with layers of magenta and cyan, letting each layer dry completely before adding the next." The result is an interplay of colors that feels simultaneously deliberate and effortless.

Weaving with Light and Shadow
 

While McNerthney's watercolors evoke soft, glowing landscapes of color, her woven pieces bring the same principles into a tactile, three-dimensional form. Inspired by a visit with a master weaver in China, she discovered that the loom, like the painter’s palette, offers endless opportunities to explore color relationships. "The intersection of warp and weft creates a kind of pointillism," she says, referencing the Impressionist painters who used dots of color to blend tones visually.
 

In her fiber works, the choice of material—silk for its sheen, linen for its strength, wool for its warmth—affects not just texture but also how the colors interact with light. "Light behaves differently on each fiber," she notes. "Silk reflects it, linen absorbs it, and wool softens it. The material becomes an active participant in the color story."
 

Color as Emotional Landscape
 

McNerthney approaches color not only as a visual tool but as an emotional one. The tranquil gradients and gentle transitions in her work mirror her own journey toward peace and presence. "My art is a reflection of my inner process," she says. "I’ve experienced conflict and depression, and I’ve learned that serenity comes when I stay present with what is. Color helps me stay connected to that spaciousness."
 

In both her paintings and weavings, McNerthney uses color to evoke a sense of calm—something many of her collectors have noted. "There’s a moment when someone sees a piece and just exhales," she shares. "That’s when I know the colors have done their job."

The Ever-Shifting Palette of Maui
 

Having lived for over two decades on the slopes of Haleakalā, McNerthney is continuously inspired by Maui’s subtle, shifting light. "There’s a softness to the light here," she says. "Perhaps it's the humidity or the island’s position in the Pacific. Whatever the reason, it creates endless variations of color—no two mornings ever look the same."
 

Her work, though rooted in personal experience, resonates universally. "Color is primal," McNerthney concludes. "It transcends language and logic. It reaches right into us, reminding us of sunsets we’ve watched, flowers we’ve admired, or the feeling of warmth on our skin. My goal is to tap into that shared, timeless experience."
 

Discover the radiant world of Sheri McNerthney’s work at Wailea Contemporary Gallery, where color isn't just seen—it's felt.

To learn more about Sheri’s broader artistic journey and philosophy, read our original feature: “Serenity in Every Thread.”