For many years, painter Sherie Harkins has balanced the roles of wife, mom, teacher and painter successfully, but she has always wanted just a little more.  Harkins aspired to be in the studio fulltime and have a career as a painter.
 
Harkins is giving it a serious go. Twenty-four years after buying their house in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, Harkins and her husband sold their home and moved to Providence to better pursue Harkins’ dream of a painting career.  Their children are grown and out of the nest, giving them the financial breathing room they need to bravely jump into their new life.

Harkins’ paintings feature larger-than-life renditions of fruit, vegetables and ice cubes painted with an unusual degree of detail. She enjoys the macro approach to painting.   The scale “takes them out of their ordinary setting,” Harkins says.  “It gives them more impact and more surface.  It allows me to focus on the intricacies of what’s happening.”