Amy Scherer

Study of Girl with Headband: Portrait in Oil on Canvas Panel, Framed, 2019

2019

Amy Scherer is a painter based in Seattle, Washington, best known for her emotive portraits and figure studies. Her work predominantly utilizes acrylics, but she also experiments with oils and gouache to create rich, layered compositions. Scherer’s artistic development was deeply influenced by her mentorship under NW Master Painter William Cumming, whom she met at the Art Institute of Seattle in 1984. Cumming’s mentorship was pivotal in shaping her understanding of color theory, design principles, and the expressive potential of paint. Her main focus is on formalism, which emphasizes compositional elements; color, line, shape, texture, and other perceptual aspects are the “subject” rather than content, meaning, or the historical and social context. Scherer’s work is characterized by its bold, direct engagement with the human form, often exploring themes of identity, vulnerability, and emotion. She takes a deeply introspective approach to her subjects, capturing not only their likeness but their inner world as well. With each painting, Scherer seeks to explore the intersection of personal expression and universal connection, making her work both intensely individual and widely relatable.