Artist of the Year - Cherrie O'Hagan

Cherrie's watercolor painting is titled "Variations in Blue."  She chose a collection of blue jars and bowls, purchased at a local Salvation Army shop, as an exercise at getting the right shade and temperature of blue.  She set her still life in front of a deep orange/russet background that she thought would best bring out the blueness in the objects. She added a persimmon from her garden to tie in the background.

Cherrie enjoys working with watercolors, acrylics, and oils.  She feels that different scenes call for different mediums. For instance, if she wants a happy and lively painting of a scene in Italy or a painting of roses on a hot summer day, she would choose to use oils or acrylics. On the other hand, if she wants to have an air of stillness or contemplation to a painting, she usually chooses watercolor.

Cherrie earned a bachelors degree in Architecture.  She explains that this is the reason her watercolor paintings are a bit "tight."  There was no autocad during her time in school.  Students drew everything by hand back then!

Having lived in several different countries for the past few decades, Cherrie has had the privilege of attending various art associations and art workshops. She has enjoyed being a part of VHAA.  It has given her a lot of exposure to visiting artists, and she has been inspired by the works of different members.

Cherrie O'Hagan with her watercolor, "Variations in Blue"