Sherah Martin Kemp Art
Fine Art Watercolor Paintings, Gouache Paintings, Drawings, and Prints
"Savannah at Night"
This series is one I completed in 2022, and then added new works to the collection over the course of 2023. While most of the paintings in this collection have sold, the few still available are on my "Available originals" page. Almost all of these are also available as prints in my Etsy store, found on the "Purchase Art" page.
The purpose of this page is to keep the works together visually, and explore the inspiration that birthed them.
"The Fountain at Forsyth" (Sold)
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It all started when a good friend commissioned me to paint the Forsyth Park fountain, at night (seen here; this work is not available for purchase but prints of it currently are available). I already had several other night scenes of Savannah I had been wanting to do, so the idea for the series blossomed from there.
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The Collection: "Savannah at Night"
I first fell in love with Savannah in the nighttime. The first time I saw it, I was dating Emil (who is now my husband) and he lived near Savannah while I lived in North Florida. He drove me through downtown at night, during my first visit up here. That was when I met Savannah. Many date nights, also were spent, in the coming year and a half; and even after we were married. The architecture, the lights, the trees, the city: They all became a source of deep longing to get back to painting again.
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But this collection isn't just about Savannah. Choosing to do only night scenes, has also made it a study of the power of light through the darkness. Darkness has walked beside me in my life and I have felt it when I didn't want to. We probably could all say the same. But in my experience, I found that the light I knew - which was the light of the love of God drawing me - this light always wins out. It finds me; whether in pain, grief, fear, longing or loneliness. And it does so in the person of Jesus. Each of these paintings came from deep inside me; as I longed to depict that inner struggle and the joy the light brings as it shines in the darkness. Because these works came from so deep a place inside of myself, they seemed more honest and true than anything I have ever done before. As though I have broken through a wall in my art, that I have been knocking at for a while.
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Whatever level you connect to these paintings on; I hope you may feel a connection. That they would draw you in and make you feel things, and see things - maybe just a bit differently than you ever have before.
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"The Red and White Striped Awnings"
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(SOLD)
Original watercolor painting on watercolor paper. 2022. 20"x13"; .
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This was the first painting I completed for the series. It took approximately 35 hours painting to complete. It was inspired by one of the many walks, my husband Emil, and I have taken along River Street at night. The reference photo I used, I took on a trip when we were celebrating my birthday, when we were still dating. The red and white stripes with the Fall decorations was such a happy sight, I knew immediately I wanted to paint it; however it was a few years later; before I had the opportunity to put brush to paper and make it happen.
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"Evening Reflections on the Savannah River"
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Original watercolor painting on watercolor paper. 2022. 21"x5".
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Painting the second one in the series was very enjoyable. I was drawn to the reflections in the water and although my reference photo included the whole Westin building, and much more sky, I chose to zoom in and paint the emphasis on the water. Light and dark contrast are my main inspirations and I wanted that feeling of standing on the edge of River Street and looking into the water. ​
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"Glisten"
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(SOLD)
Original Gouache painting on clay board. 2022 12"x12".
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This gouache painting was definitely the most challenging painting I have taken on yet. The different whites I had to mix to acheive the different shading on the fountain; even creating the illusion of spraying water with gouache was no small feat. In the end, I feel it is one of the most detailed and complex paintings of the series. At about 60 hours of work it definitely took the longest. The water glowing in the night lights is a reminder to me of another Fountain that glistens for all who will come and drink of its waters. Of Christ as the "Fountain of Life".
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"Market Street Glow"
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(SOLD)
Original Gouache painting on clay board. 2022. 6"x6".
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At 6x6 this is one of the mini paintings in the series. The busy restaurant scene on Market Street, caught my eye with its lightglow and energy. It is one of only two paintings in the series, that show people in the scene.
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"Nightfall on Bay"
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Original watercolor painting on watercolor paper. 2022. 24"x16";.
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This scene is another that I knew immediately that I wanted to paint it, when I was standing there on Bay Street, looking at the glowing lights from one of the many historical buildings in downtown. The car is blurred so it shows motion and the focal point of the painting is, once again, the glowing lights contrasting the surrounding impending darkness, that is falling over the city. This is the largest painting of the series, and took 36 hours to complete.
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"Symphony of Lights, No.1"
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(SOLD)
Original Gouache painting on clay board. 2022. 11"x14".
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One of three paintings in this series that depicts the lights of downtown Savannah, in a blurred and almost abstracted style. These three paintings are like a sub-series of the main collection. While this is a little different than the style I typically do, it was very true to the vision I had for the whole series, paring it down to the essence of light against darkness. Light draws, and warms; gives hope, and beckons. I truly felt this series was a study of these things and this painting especially came from the depths of what I feel about that light and darkness, when I walk through Savannah.
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This painting had the honor of being chosen by the online international art gallery, "Light, Space, & Time" to be included in their annual "Patterns, Textures & Forms" 2022 art exhibition.
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"Symphony of Lights, No.2"
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(SOLD)
Original Gouache painting on clay board. 2022 8"x8".
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This is the second of the three "Symphony of Lights" Paintings. The photo that I used for reference, I took at Christmas time, so there were more lights than usual around Market Street. This one is full of light and feels very joyful to me. The many layers of blurred lights over each other was tricky to paint but worth it in the end.
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"Symphony of Lights, No.3"
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Original Gouache painting on clay board. 2022. 6"x6".
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While this is the smallest of the blurred light paintings, it was actually the first I started to paint, and last to be completed. As this type of painting was a new subject for me, on this particular one I had to sort through some bad technique choices I made early on and ended up reworking it many times. The vivid colors made me really happy in this one and pushed me to keep trying to bring out their vibrance. In the end it turned out exactly how I envisioned.
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"Savannah's Steeples"
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(SOLD) Original Gouache painting on clay board. 2022. 8"x8".
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The reference image I used for this one I actually took with my phone, as Emil and I were motorcycling through Savannah during 2020 when pretty much all the businesses were closed because of COVID. We just rode through the city since there was no where you could actually go, but it was a really great night for it and this was the first time I saw St Johns Cathedral up close. It looked so stark and white against the night sky I wanted to take a photo and only later decided I was willing to take on the complicated architecture in a painting. Even though this one is only 8"x8" it took 30 hours of painting time to complete. It was another one that I reworked certain areas quite a few times. It is sold, and is now part of a friend and collectors private collection.
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"Christmas in Savannah"
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Original watercolor painting on watercolor paper. 2022. 5"x7".
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I wanted to do the City Hall dome at night, from the beginning as I listed off paintings to do for the series. My favorite photo references were taken at Christmas time, with the large wreath hung in front. I initially planned to not include it but decided to go with the Christmas setting, and create Christmas cards from the final painting. One thing that made me want to do this view of it was the warm, reddish light glow, and the fact that the dome's gilding isn't the main character; but is downplayed by the beautiful light coming from the clock, and the inside of porches at the front of the building.
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"Symphony of Lights, No.4"
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Original Gouache painting on clay panel, varnished. 2023. 24"x18".
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Currently the largest in my "Symphony of Lights" mini series, this one was also based on a bokeh photo I took in Downtown Savannah. This one was in City Market and I love the way the lights seem to dance in the focal point of the painting.
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"Bridge Through the Darkness"
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Original watercolor painting on watercolor paper. 2023. 16"x12".
For me this one represents the strength of God as a bridge holding us as we travel through times of deep darkness.​
I was in the middle of painting it through the months my Daddy was passing from cancer. That thought held me through so much pain and grief, and I will always have a special place in my heart for this painting.
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"Evening Reflections on the Savannah River No. 2​
(SOLD)
Original Gouache painting on clay board. 2022 12"x12".
This was the second of the two similar ones in this collection. I was entranced by the colors of the lights in the reflections, contrasting against the deep midnight blues.
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