Cheryl Appe

The main purpose of painting in abstraction is not to tell a story, but to evoke involvement and spark imagination. This art form is about providing its viewers with an intangible and emotional experience. In my abstract work, I render shapes and colors that call to mind the natural world—blue skies, blooming flowers, approaching storms—but through a language of gestural abstraction. 

When I paint more representational subjects, I seek the mystery within. Years of painting landscapes from life have trained my eye to perceive beyond the ordinary, capturing the light and colors that exist, but may be hidden in the natural world.

Cheryl Appe is a Vermont-based painter whose work explores the complex beauty of the natural world through an intuitive, process-driven approach. Her journey began in photography, but motherhood prompted a shift to oil painting—a medium that offered both creative freedom and practical sustainability. Over the years, she has cultivated a dedicated studio practice rooted in presence, physicality, and a deep reverence for color.

For Cheryl, painting is an evolving dialogue with the medium. Each brushstroke guides the next, as color, texture, and form unfold like a conversation. The work reaches completion only when this exchange arrives at a natural resolution.

She studied studio art in New York City at the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League, and The School of Visual Arts. Her ongoing inspiration comes from painting from life, exploring global museums, and walking daily at Shelburne Farms near her home.