About Cheryl

Cheryl is an exhibiting member of the Seacoast Artists Association and a member of the Kittery Art Association.

Cheryl always loved watercolor painting and added learning how to her “bucket list.” In 2014-15 Cheryl began taking watercolor painting classes with Doris Rice, a well known watercolorist and teacher. Doris encourages her students, always finding something that they did well in the beginning paintings and as they grow provides constructive suggestions and critique to help build skills. Over the years Cheryl has continued working with Doris during weekly, special and Plein Air classes as well as week long painting trips. Additionally, Doris’s students are encouraged to place their work in shows offered by the Seacoast Artists Association in Exeter, NH. Cheryl took critique, suggestions and encouragement to heart and now shows and sells her work during monthly Theme Shows, Body of Work shows and at various Art Show events in the seacoast area and has taken on a few commissions.

All of Cheryl’s pieces are original works as she makes no prints, making each painting “one of a kind.” This includes the images on her cards, which can be removed, matted and framed. Each painting is signed and dated on the front and back. Cheryl’s signature is hidden within the painting and you will have to look to find it! She hopes you enjoy the search!

Cheryl describes her journey with watercolor like this:

“I love art and being an artist. Each piece is unique, just as each artist is unique to themselves. Creating has been a part of my life for quite some time and has taken many different forms including music (song writing), poetry, story writing, working with rock in gardens, walls and pathways, making clay whistles, gourd shakers, bead work, cooking, and most recently watercolor painting. The act of creating makes me slow down. I have said before that while woking in these creative areas the world around me disappears and the work at hand is all there is. Painting with watercolor is by far the hardest and most challenging for me, but I love it, even on the days when it just will not work. Ah, but when it does work there is nothing like that feeling of looking into the painting and “falling” into it. Painting starts a story and entices me into wanting to know more, to wonder. I want to step into the painting, follow the path, see what is behind or in front of the tree, lake, river or mountain. I want to sit on the rocks or put my toes in the water. I hope that my paintings can evoke emotion in the viewer and a desire to know more, to complete the unique story.”

You might have seen Cheryl on different stages throughout New England performing with a Barbershop chorus and quartet, singing with a folk group called Labrys and for the past 20+ years Cheryl has sung and played standup bass in the duo Nice & Naughty. Additionally, she is part of The Cold Spring Trio where she plays bass and sings. Cheryl has recently completed her 6th CD. In addition to her love of teaching and performing, Cheryl works as “The Garden Tamer” to help homeowners love their gardens again!

Cheryl grew up in upstate NY surrounded by 75 acres of farm and woodlands. Here she developed a love of nature and all it holds. Her love for trees, rocks, water and plants came from the many walks on this land. After Cheryl graduated from The College of Saint Rose with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music in Special Education she moved to California where she explored miles of forest and an ocean coast line. When she returned to the east coast in 1982, she settled in New Hampshire and has lived here since and now lives in Exeter with her husband Neal Zweig. They have a blended family of adult children with 3 wonderful grandchildren. Cheryl has taught music and/or preschool special education for over 40 years and currently teaches K-5 Music in Kensington NH.