Walsham le Willows

In October 2020, the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic forced Whitecourt’s TravelPlus Agency to close its doors. In its closure, though, co-owner Sherry Robinson-Rooks saw a new opportunity. She decided to remain in the building on 51st Avenue and convert it into Walsham le Willows, a personal art studio where she now makes and sells her own artwork.

The studio, named after the English village where her grandmother grew up, features a beautiful assortment of art made by Robinson-Rooks and a few of her close colleagues. On the studio’s Instagram account, Robinson-Rooks writes that she works with acrylics, alcohol inks, coloured pencils, watercolour, encaustic, stained glass, and mosaic. Additionally, she has also started making her paper in-house, using recycled paper shreds; several pieces on display are painted on this textured, handmade paper. “I’m just in the learning process [of making paper], but it’s always fun to dabble in different things,” Robinson-Rooks said. Her willingness to try different styles and mediums is evident on Walsham le Willows’ shelves: her paintings range from colourful abstract landscapes to sombre grey-scale mountain ranges to vivid, candid portraits. “It’s not [a] typical landscape; I have my own take on it,” Robinson-Rooks said of her bright, bold paintings. “I’m loving impressionism!” Also on display are several alcohol ink mugs, stained glass pieces, handmade jewelry, hand-painted boxes and birdhouses. She explained that the idea with these smaller pieces is to create artwork that people can afford, particularly during the pandemic’s financial strain.

While Robinson-Rooks has been making art since she was in high school, she mentioned that a collaborative project a few years ago rekindled her motivation. The Sketchbook Project, organized by the Brooklyn Art Library, is a program where artists purchase a sketchbook and are given a thematic prompt to represent throughout the book. Finished sketchbooks are mailed back to the Brooklyn Art Library, where they are featured in a travelling exhibit and eventually join the Library’s permanent collection. Robinson-Rooks’ sketchbook, titled “Melancholy,” was based on the theme of homelessness. In a multimedia approach, she used everything from paints to collage paper to tea bags to create a visual narrative of homelessness. She drew inspiration from childhood memories, photography, Google Earth imaging, and Clynton Woyewoda, a local man who was familiar to many in the community. “Melancholy,” which can be viewed online through the Brooklyn Art Library, captures Robinson-Rooks’ passionate and multifaceted approach to art. The spark inspired her to create art with a renewed vigour, which she now does on a full-time basis in the Walsham le Willows studio.

To discover more about Sherry Robinson-Rooks’ art, view her studio Instagram account @walshamlewillows.studio, or visit the Walsham le Willows studio itself, open 10-5 (closed 12-1 pm) Monday through Friday.