Cheryl Dolby, a native of Warren, Ohio, now resides in Roanoke, Va., where after spending 15 years as a stained glass artist, teacher, and shop owner, became interested in clay sculpture. Her interest soon became an obsession and since 1984 she has exibited her sculpture at shows and galleries throughout the country.
Cheryl's sculpture is very original and unusual, yielding an immediacy and intimacy that speaks to the beholder. When asked about the legends that accompany each of her pieces, she explained, "My work is very personal to me. Each of my faces represent a special life. A life that seems to tell a story. It is as if they speak to me and I feel I must share that life with those who view my work. The legends are usually very spiritual in nature and carry a feeling of wholeness and unity and a sense of eternity."
Heavily influenced by the Hopi Indian tribe in Arizona, Dolby creates faces of Native American women along with subjects from other cultures..images that appear to her in the creation process. Cheryl learned about Native American cultures from Bonnie Nampeyo and Ernest Chipella at the Isomata School of the Arts, in Idlewild, California.
A strong belief that an artist should continue to study their particular art or craft has led Cheryl to several masters. She had the privilege of studying anatomy of the skull and figure with Martine Vaugel in France. She also studied Bas-Relief with Vincent Ricci in Perugia, Italy. Ricci assisted Emille Greco on the Bas-Relief found on the door of the duomo in Ovieto, Italy. Her experience has allowed her to gain first hand knowledge of how to construct a large Bas-Relief. More recently Cheryl studied fresco painting in a small medieval village at the foot of the Alps or (Dolomites) in Italy. Her teacher, Alma Ortolan, directed the reconstruction of the painting of the royal balcony and the low area of 'la Fenice', the opera house in Venice.
At the request of her customers, Cheryl compiled her stories into book form. She Who Whispers, Grandmother Tree, Woman Within the Web, Layers and Healing Woman Journal can be purchased from Cheryl.
Cheryl's work can be seen at several galleries including, New Mountain Mercantile in Floyd, Virginia, The Dolphin Watch Gallery in Corolla, N.C. and on the Historic Farmers Market in Roanoke, Virginia on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays or by chance. While you are viewing Cheryl's work on the market, be sure to check out her completely mosaiced car..B-Dazle!
