Cheryl Leigh Cross

A warm hello!
since you have kindly found me here, you may like to know a little bit about me.

I can’t define what I am or do; I am many different things to many different people.
All I know is the ‘me’ I dwell with each day perceives my world through the eyes and soul of art. It has always been this way.

It took me a long time to realise that everyone didn’t live like this and this concept of perception continues to intrigue me.
Being able to develop a deeper understanding of our essential creative process and its various states of challenge, journey, absorption and bliss is also an ongoing passion.

It was inevitable that following on from my painting and drawing major I would become a facilitator in the artistic journey of many others, encouraging them to explore this innate creative self.

My pursuit led me to explore less traditional methods of art making. This in turn forced me to acknowledge the consuming hunger and sheer waste of my own art making; the piles of paper scattered during a drawing frenzy, the palette of unused acrylic paint and the mountain of “stuff” my art produced. It all left me feeling uneasy. I increasingly questioned how my creative journey was impacting on the earth. Guilt pervaded, the drawings slowed and a sense of confusion set in. I envied singers, dancers and musicians of their form of expression.

But then the ocean near my home came to my rescue with a world of found materials to save my creative soul. The pristine shores of Jervis Bay provided enough rubbish to inspire my artwork and allow me to express my ideas of human interaction with our environment. The materials guided my art and helped me encourage people to stop and think, either about their world or their perception of it.

So now I collect many things, some for art, some to share, some to recycle and some just because I can’t bare to see them go to landfill.

But my most treasured collection is my life, its experiences, people and memories. My creative energy of late has nurtured my daughters and assisted me to establish an eco friendly products business that complements my projects and art. Managing my fragmented life has been an ongoing challenge and I am always searching for a way to make my time stretch further, apart from stealing my sleeping hours. I am sure it is something we all face.

For now my artist self has to wait patiently, but I know everything has its time. And a great big thank you for giving me some of yours right now.