Sally Harris - Biography

Biography

Sally Harris MD MS FAAN NMWS is a neurologist who started out being an artist. As a child she was chosen for a gifted art program in Pittsburgh and received a BA in Art Education cum laude in Fine Arts from CU Boulder.  She went directly to graduate school and got her Master’s in Computer Science with a minor in Exercise Physiology at CU Boulder. She then went to medical school and became a board-certified neurologist. After passing her boards, she joined a beginner watercolor class in 2001.  She now paints mainly in watercolor and acrylic.  For many years she has been a Scholastic Art judge. She is currently president of Rio Grande Art Association and has volunteered her time as well with the New Mexico Watercolor Society. Her work can be seen in Weems Gallery and has been shown in Masterworks, NMWS shows, Jewish Community Center, Kimo Theater, Sheehan Winery, Los Alamos Step Up Gallery, Sandia Neurology Clinic, Los Alamos National Lab, University of Colorado Art Department, St. Mark’s Cathedral, NM State Fair, La Mesa Presbyterian Church, Mama’s Minerals, St Mark’s Episcopal Church, the NM Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, St. John’s Cathedral, and soon will be in the NMCCF Gallery for a Cause.  Proceeds from her sold work are donated entirely to Animal Humane.

Artist Statement

I use watercolor, acrylic, collage, and gouache to paint landscapes, portraits, ocean scenes, and abstracts. As an art major I was mortified to get a B in watercolor, so this became my nemesis for 22 years. For many years I painted only in watercolor, but after both of my parents died in 2018, I found myself drawn to paint acrylic abstracts. Over time this drive transitioned to calmer landscapes and seascapes which I realized were much easier and much more fun to paint.

I paint because I want to present my view of things. 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. Acrylic allows me to dramatize and colorize landscapes in a way I never could with other media.

Adopting my daughter from Vietnam in 2002 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 love to travel. I love abstract painting and solving its problems. And I love the New Mexican landscape and its unusual drama.

My intention as an art major in college was to inspire students to use art to improve their confidence and self-esteem. My intention as an artist is to express how I see the world around me and have fun doing it.