Cheryl Wilkes is a dedicated painter and has been chosen to show one of her works at the McMullen Gallery in Edmonton. Her work was chosen from over 190 entries and I'm sure it will the one that stands out!!
This is Cheryl Wilkes' story on why she is an artist; an inspitation to us all...
I remember receiving an old wooden box of oil paints and used brushes from my grandfather when I was 12. He had included some turpentine for thinning and cleaning and my parents provided me with an easel and a canvas. The summer days were warm and endless as I sat behind my rickety easel in the backyard painting a beautiful night sky picture from an old Christmas card of a glistening creamy moon peaking out from behind inky blue clouds. I imagined myself to be a famous artist dabbing away at the canvas and could feel a suave Parisian accent welling up inside of me. Of course we lived just 20 miles from Montreal so the accent wasn’t difficult to muster. I recall being so relaxed and feeling so carefree as I painted while listening to the birds singing and the squirrels scolding in the trees of my backyard. Certainly, the fumes from the paints and thinner may have played a small part in creating my feeling of tranquility, however, the sheer joy of replicating on canvas a small piece of this earth’s splendor was like a sweet elixir to my soul. That rapturous feeling kept me coming back to my easel, day after day until summer waned and my days were filled once again with the rigours of school.
Now I am much older and have seen many summers glide swiftly past. As a Registered Nurse, Wife, Mother and Grandmother, I have felt the weight of countless weary hours caring for clients, tending to family and struggling to survive in a ferocious world, which has left its mark on my body and my psyche. Unquestionably the joyous days of everlasting summer have ended for me and the gift of childhood oblivion has long since disappeared. The cold, harsh reality of life now dictates that I must choose daily to seek out the happiness that once upon a time was so easily grasped. I have chosen to return to painting again in an attempt to regain some of that cheerful tranquility that I had as a child and to provide a tangible balance to the rigours of daily life. Unfortunately finding time to paint is not paramount in my life as the clamour from demands of work and family quite frankly overpower the little voice that says, “Take some time for yourself.” In order to ensure that I do take the time, I have signed myself up for painting classes where I attend at least once a week. There are many evenings when I would prefer to stay at home with my feet up on the couch and forego class, but I coerce myself to attend, knowing that as I paint I will feel renewed, reenergized and at peace. The hardships of the day will be forgotten with each stroke of my brush and I am assured that I will be physically and mentally healthier for having taken some brief moments for myself to rejuvenate today, so that I may be better equipped to serve others tomorrow.
