Cheryl Soltis

Oil Painter

Email: cherylsoltis@yahoo.com

Website: **

My artwork is inspired by my spirituality, approaching subject matter that reflects the light from within, moving me with its great beauty as I share with you my love of oil paint on canvas. One of my immense pleasures occur when I’ve captured a concept, producing it in oils on an even grander scale then I could have dreamed.

At first glance, my body of work might seem a bit eclectic as my subject matter can appear to follow traditional standards. But, if the viewer looks deeply one common thread is always present –that thread is my vision, the inner beauty and light that I can see and feel. Often the presence of light in my work can create a dream-like quality to the piece. It may show up in the eyes of the model, the atmospheric condition of the landscape, the symbolism of the still life objects or portrait. Spirit is always present.

Traditional artists, such as Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent have influenced my work, as well as Surrealist, Salvador Dali and the art of Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Not-so-traditional experiences from my own spiritual path and shamanistic journeys in Mexico tap my heart’s fondness for such sacred traditions to be painted. I depict positive and profound messages in whimsical ways exploring themes of death, rebirth and renewal. As I transform and evolve as an artist of spirit, so does my art. This is the case when the art is that of an alchemist.

Born and raised in the Philadelphia area I currently reside in Park County, Colorado. I have been a member of national and state art education associations and have taught High School art at a major suburban Bucks County, Pennsylvania school district. Holding a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree, with a concentration in commercial art, and a Masters Equivalency in the state of Pennsylvania, one can see that art and education have always been a part of my conventional life.

Non-conventionally, my time spent in Mexico, with the book The Four Agreements and its author and spiritual mentor don Miguel Ruiz, continues to influence my life and my art. Hopefully my work speaks for itself and to its viewers – what you receive from it will always be the right message, as Spirit speaks to each of us all, in different ways.