About the Artist

As Cheryl Crandall, I grew up on a 300-acre potato farm in Rhode Island about 3 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. After farm chores were done, I would ride my bike with friends to the beach. I loved shorebirds even then. You will see paintings of some of my favorites here. A member of Jr. Audubon at the age of 12, I went on lots of bird walks with my friend's Aunt Eloise, where I learned to identify species not only by sight but by their songs. You will see paintings of songbirds here, too.

After high school and college, I married Jack Dumelow and we are still together 58 years later. I think that says something about my perseverance (and tolerance?). We moved a lot, from Rhode Island to Okinawa then Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas and in 1993, Alabama where I live today. I am a southerner at heart...from the southernmost town in New England to the south of Alabama.  You will see some paintings of New England here, too, as well as Plein Air paintings of the Alabama Eastern Shore.

I consider myself a lifelong student.  In PA, I learned the art of Tole Painting by which the PA Deutch paint on metal and wooden household objects and then I taught the technique to adults in a night school program. In NC, I learned to prepare taxes and eventually became a CPA and opened my own business, Bottomline Tax Service, and continued for 35 years. After retiring in 2019, I decided it was time to start painting seriously. So... I again became the student, watching video after video after video; joining local art groups, and practicing, practicing, practicing. Did I mention perseverance?

I think you get the gist: I am a self-taught artist and loving every minute of it.