Born in Buffalo NY Cheryl sketched regularly at the Albright- Knox Art Museum. After classical training at the Hartford Art School, Cheryl earned a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art (now called University of the Arts). Moving to New York City, she studied textile design at Fashion Institute of Technology and TV Production Design (on an ABC-TV scholarship) at Parsons School of Design. Cheryl anatomy studies have continued at Art Students’ League, where she was elected a Member in 1997. Cheryls’ other active affiliations include: NY Artists Equity, Portrait Society of America and the Colored Pencil Society of America. Her work is in private, university & corporate collections throughout the US, Israel and Canada.

I was born in Buffalo NY where I sketched regularly at the Albright- Knox Art Museum. After classical training at the Hartford Art School, I earned a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art (now called University of the Arts). Moving to New York City, I studied textile design at Fashion Institute of Technology and TV Production Design (on an ABC-TV scholarship) at Parsons School of Design. My anatomy studies have continued at Art Students’ League, where I was elected a Member in 1997. My other active affiliations include: NY Artists Equity, Portrait Society of America and the Colored Pencil Society of America. Her work is in private, university & corporate collections throughout the US, Israel and Canada.

My work is built upon two long-explored and closely linked passions: the anatomically accurate observations required for Portraiture/ High Realism: and, my ongoing “Organic Grid” series. Both the Portraits & the Grids tend to be on heavy-weight paper, are small- 9”x12” is common- and strive to be as intimate and implosive as possible.

I believe that a true portrait moves beyond a likeness to reveal the subject’s feelings and attitudes. My goal is to get beneath the mask to present the sitter’s truest self in an unguarded moment. The portraits often begin as live color studies using watercolor & colored pencils. These, paired with on-location photos, form my basic working reference materials. Because there is a big difference between what we see and what we think we see, the initial portrait studies are often repetitive, increasingly accurate observations of a nose, of hands or ears, etc. The composition evolves as the subject becomes more comfortable- and natural- while being observed at close quarters.

The Grids are basically abstract patterns providing, as Samuel Beckett wrote, “a form to accommodate the mess” of the disorder and disenchantments of life. The Grids often serve as a laboratory to investigate new ways to draw and then use them to complete a composition. Once refined, they are applied to my more traditional work. For example, I began incising on paper surfaces to achieve a negative line (a particularly unforgiving technique) and then used it with success in my completed commission ”Marc Gottlieb Almost Smiles”.

I have also begun a “Knitted Rectangle” series. These abstract works examine the implied color changes and rhythms found in exploiting a limited range of color. Many of these pieces are quite large, 5’ x 8’, or quite long, 8” x 7’.

Many artists continue to influence my work: Van Gogh, Kaethe Kollwitz, Rudy Zallinger, Cecilia Beau, Josef Albers, Hananiah Harari, Rico Lebrun and American basket designers A.S. Brock and Nancy Moore Bess.

Because my work is archival, like any fine heirloom it is meant to last for many generations. However, I now offer Giclee reproductions of my sold originals to broaden my audience.