Sandra Cherk Arts

About Me

 

My art career started while living in Greece over 25 years ago. Wanting to capture village scenes, I took up watercolors. My first shows were in the library at Athens College, where my husband was teaching. His colleagues were delighted to see depictions of their home villages, and I was excited to find my work was appreciated.

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I painted throughout our 3 years in Athens, documenting our travels to many islands and nearby countries, and continued when we moved back home to Santa Cruz. I mostly choose landscapes as my subjects, but I also can't pass up the architectural lines of buildings, windows and doors. No matter what subject, I especially like those with interesting light and shadows.

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Taking up soft pastels make painting even more rewarding. I love the richness of the colors, and the tactile feeling of the pastels dragging across sanded paper. They are perfect for capturing the feeling of the places I paint. Though I have started painting more en plein air, I more often paint from my photographs in a studio (indoors in California, or outside in Greece!)

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After numerous requests, I also now teach pastel workshops for small groups. Every class has been as much fun for me as my students! Let me know if you're interested.

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You can see my pastels exhibited in local businesses and galleries. I also participate in the Santa Cruz Open Studios Tour each October. And, if you would like to arrange a visit to my studio, please contact me.