Cheri Christensen: Straight Ahead

See Cheri paint the animals she loves to see her style and impressionistic interpretation. And how she turns what seems to be pretty common subjects into works of art. In this first of 3 videos, she choose to paint the subject using, primarily, a palette knife to dramatize the character of this particular rooster named “Straight Ahead.”

This is an excellent demonstration of not only interpreting the subject in an impressionistic style, but her skill in using a palette knife to do the majority of the painting. If you’ve ever wanted to see someone skilled in the use of a palette knife, this video is for you.

Cheri studied oil painting intensely for three years with Ron Lukas, a protege of Sergei Bongart, who taught in the tradition of the Russian Impressionists. In her studies, Cheri concentrated on seeing and conveying the effects of color and light on forms.

The first painting she submitted to a competition was included in a prestigious exhibition at the Charles and Emma Frye Art Museum in Seattle, and the first painting to include animals received the Beatrice Jackson Memorial award for Best Traditional Landscape in the Allied Artists of America 1995 show. She has since gone on to be represented in and win awards in numerous regional, national, and international shows.

In her own words…
“I am inspired by the simple, everyday interaction of the animals in their environment; the way that light dances across the form, the harmony of color relationships, and the shapes of light and shadow. I prefer early-morning light or late afternoon settings, with extreme back-lighting. My focus is on the farm animals and the use of color, light, and the texture of the oil paint to convey a mood." 
Cheri Christensen