Sheryl Thornton is a Utah artist whose paintings have been exhibited in Utah galleries and juried exhibitions across the United States for over 15 years. Her work is also included in private collections in San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Italy.

Sheryl attended the University of Utah on a Presidential scholarship and graduated with a BFA degree with an emphasis on drawing and painting. She is a signature member of the Utah Watercolor Society from which she has received many awards including two Awards of Excellence in 2003.

In 1997, she was commissioned by the State of Utah to paint four watercolor landscapes as part of the permanent collection in the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City. Her work was also featured in the 1998 publication by Norhtlight Books entitled "Splash 5: Works from 109 of the best contemporary watercolorists".

Sheryl has taught drawing and painting, and in 2002 taught a watercolor workshop for the Dale Chihuly Foundation called "Seniors Making Art". She has been a guest lecturer at Westminster College and the University of Utah.

She has also studied with painters Harold Petersen, Carol Barnes, Arne Westerman, Martha Mans, Osral Allred, Timothy Clark, Tony Couch, Alex Powers, Don Andrews and Alvaro Castagnet.

"My art is a result of observing life around me. It is as if I have a mental camera that helps me step back and "freeze" intriguing moments and turn them into paintings. I am fascinated with figures, gesture, mood, color, light and shade. The resulting paintings may focus on a person, an expression, a landscape, a color or the play of light and shade on an object. I try not to limit my subject matter, but rather convey my feeling about the subject.

I love bold color, texture and line, and use whatever medium will best describe the mood I am after. That may be watercolor, charcoal, pastel, acrylic or , most recently, oil paint. Suggestions and simplicity are my desire rather than rendering every detail of forms and figures. I hope the focus on minimal detail will incite the viewer to step inside the painting and experience a mood, a feeling, a reminder, or create the desire to go where I have been, or maybe take a journey of their own".