schroederville

The Art of Sheryl Schroeder

From the time I was old enough to hold a pencil, I have had a mania for drawing things. Growing up a native of Southern California, I have deep roots in the West. My father was an artist, so I inherited it. He used to carve tikis out of palm trees in San Diego in the sixties. Some of his tikis can still be seen in front yards and surf shops down there. We were barefooted beach kids, with a colorful life. I was greatly influenced by surf and beach culture, cars, skateboarding and music. The shadow of Disney loomed large in my early childhood. When I was only 3 or 4, my mom took me to see Disney films, and I would draw nothing but those characters for months and months on end. I was obsessed. When I was about 14, I got to meet a real Disney animator who was an acquaintance of my mom's. I can remember sitting down with him and getting some pointers on drawing. That was a huge highlight of my teens. It was a natural progression, then, that I ended up attending Cal Arts as an adult. I participated in the character animation program, where I met my mentor, Glenn Vilppu. High tuition costs, however, forced my early departure. I went on to study life drawing under Glenn's tutelage at American Animation Institute. He is the greatest teacher I have ever known.
In 1998, after returning from an art trip to Italy, I worked at Hyperion animation studio in Glendale. I worked on one film and many other projects. That job lasted a little over a year, and it was a complete blast. I loved every minute of it and learned a lot. I returned to Santa Barbara in '99, and began to focus on painting and illustration. Here in town, I do illustration for the Santa Barbara Independent and other freelance jobs.

I paint on canvas or wood. Mostly in oil, the images spilling from my head in a stream of consciousness cartoony swirl.Things that I like and that influence my life and work greatly are pop culture and iconography, music, (especially punk rock, new wave and garage), classic cars, tiki culture, Hawaiiana, voo-doo, kitsch, Googie architecture, monsters, toys, tattoo flash art, log cabins, the Old West and the 1950's in general. These things show up in my paintings like old friends. I am inspired immensely by other artists. I have learned so much by those around me. I hope you find something you like here. Any honest input or criticism will be very appreciated. Thanks for visiting, and tell a friend!