Still Waters Where Light Rests

There are moments when the world grows quiet enough for us to notice something extraordinary.

As morning light settles gently across the pond, each water lily becomes a vessel for light, while its reflection reaches into the stillness below. In that moment, the boundary between sky and water begins to disappear, reminding us that what is above us is also within us. The light that awakens the world is the same light that quietly awakens the soul.

Still Waters: Where Light Rests is the first painting in my Still Waters series—an exploration of reflection, renewal and the sacred presence revealed through nature. Inspired by those rare moments when time seems to pause, this work invites us to slow down, breathe deeply and discover that peace is not something we chase, but something we remember.

Through luminous colour, expressive brushwork and shimmering reflections, I hope to create more than a landscape. I hope to create a place of quiet encounter—a reminder that the beauty we see in the world often reflects the beauty waiting to be recognised within ourselves.

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“A Lifetime of Creativity Returning Home”

Some artists follow a straight line. Mine has been a long, beautiful arc — and every step of it has brought me back to the canvas.

My creative life began in 1972 at East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School), where I first learned to see the world through colour, form and expressive movement. Those early foundations shaped everything that came after.

In the years that followed, my design path unfolded in many directions —
fashion, furniture design, interior design.
In 1977, I was honoured with an Australian Design Award from the Industrial Design Council of Australia, recognising my commitment to craftsmanship and thoughtful design.

But my journey didn’t stop there.

I felt called into a different dimension of artistry:
the shaping of lives, stories and spirits.
For decades, I served as an ordained minister in the Uniting Church in Australia, walking with people through their joys, sorrows, transformations and sacred questions.

That chapter changed me.
It deepened my sensitivity, broadened my emotional palette, and grounded me in the quiet places of the human spirit. It taught me how to listen — deeply — and how to honour what is fragile and beautiful in each person’s journey.

Now, in this season of life, I have returned to painting with a full heart and a lifetime of insight. I am an emerging artist, not because my artistic roots are new, but because this is a new beginning — a fresh unveiling of the creative voice that has been growing in me for decades.

My work is shaped by everything I have lived:
the discipline of design, the tenderness of ministry, the spiritual depth of years spent in reflection and service.
Each painting is a quiet space where colour becomes calm, light becomes meaning, and art becomes a moment of stillness in a busy world.

This is Art by Cherie —
a return, a renewal, and a celebration of a life-long creative calling finally coming home.