Cheryl was born in Nashville, Tennessee and raised in the lush Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky.  From early youth the diversity of plants, culture of the sixties and an infatuation with the Desert Southwest have driven  Cheryl's imagination.  Her heritage includes many generations of musicians, artists, potters, actors & poets.  Cheryl's first experiences with fine art came at the age of eight when she bought a complete studio oil painting kit and the Jon Gnagy Learn to Draw Set with money her Grandfather sent her.  At the age of nine, Cheryl's Grandmother sent her to study oil painting for three years with the renowned Kentucky artist, Fred Rigsby.  All through grade school, Cheryl was a frequent visitor to the public library's art and record sections.  During her high school years she took elective drafting, music and advanced art classes.  After school, she worked part-time transferring her floral and rock album art inspired illustrations onto needlepoint canvases for a local stitchery.

     Although Cheryl's greatest desire was to be an artist, she was encouraged to study drafting after being awarded first place in a national drafting competition when  she was eighteen.  After earning three technical college degrees in Architectural Design, Technical Drawing and Computer Aided Drafting & Machining, Cheryl moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to design contemporary grocery stores.

     A job transfer took Cheryl to the scenic mountains of Western Maryland where she resided for eleven years with her husband, Paul.  She continued to work as a draftsman drawing custom home plans for independent contractors, illustrating patent applications for inventors and designing art for the children's clothing industry.  After many years of working with graphite on vellum drawings, Cheryl realized her desire to paint had to be met after accompanying Paul on a 1992 trip to the Sonoran Desert.  Upon returning home, she studied books on watercolor painting and took a beginner's workshop to make sure she was on the right track.  Soon she was exhibiting and receiving awards throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region.  This drew the attention of several prominent artists and interior designers that graciously shared their knowledge of what it meant to be a fine artist.  

     Cheryl and Paul continued to focus on moving to the Desert Southwest.  That opportunity came with another job transfer in 1998 to Las Vegas, Nevada.  The vast beauty of the Mojave Desert captivated her and confidence grew with the recognition she earned there.  Being independent and picky, she took digital technology courses to learn how to manage her own Website and break free from photo labs.  In 2004, Cheryl was humbled by the invitation to join Purcell Galleries of Fine Art in the historic artists' village of Tubac, Arizona, where she continues to be exclusively represented.  Cheryl and Paul's Sonoran Desert dream finally came true December 2010 when they and their animal menagerie settled into their new home overlooking the Tucson Mountain Park in Arizona.  Being an avid hiker and off-road enthusiast, her paintings continue to reflect images encountered along remote desert trails.