ABOUT MY CREATIVE SELF
Cheryl Hovey / Chez/ Chookie
I come from a very creative family, further back than I can remember, the women, mostly, have been creative in some way or many ways. Some of them had to be in the time they lived.
My great, great, great Aunties owned and operated the very first haberdashery shop in Camperdown, Victoria. All the women sewed and gardened and were creative with how and what they grew. My grandmother did shell craft, made cards from home paper as well as a lot of dried flower works.
My mum was very creative when we were younger, I’m the eldest of 6, and mum would make some of our cloths, jeans for example and sew on a tag so kids didn’t pick on us.
In later years, mum did lots of sewing for smaller kids and had quite a good following for her garments and in her 50’s I guess she started quilting, Ohhh she was a wonderful quilter. My Dad also was always making something, with wood, welding, plant stands and things for mum and fixing stuff in general.
My 2 sisters have both had bead shops and craft from recycle materials business.
I have always been creative, nana taught me how to make flowers from tissues, and to make things from her huge stash of shells. Mum taught me how to sew and dad taught me to knit, yes, my dad.
Art and creating have been very important and helpful to me through the years, I would easily lose myself decorating mirrors and box’s with flowers I’d dried from my garden when I felt ‘overwhelmed by things around me.
After my dad passed I took an intuitive art class, it was only 10 hrs over 5 weeks and changed my life. Soft Pastel art was my main form of creating apart from the garden, for 15 or so years.
In 2015 I did a hobby welding course, I LOVE welding and using the tools associated with that. After that I did a couple of 1 day workshops in acrylic paints and do my pastel for technique. I loved it.
After my mum died in 2016 I decided to try pottery, to see my work in 3D was a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and joy.
I had been wanting to write a book, something for a long time as well, and well I did, I woke up one morning and recalled the same dream I’d had 3 times and there were the words. I wrote my book. I’m very proud of it and self published as well.
In 2017 I moved to NSW from Geelong, Victoria, found this beautiful little growing gallery, joined up and found myself brave enough to display my work.
Since being with the Gallery I have taken a few workshops and gained more skills. The biggest creative change/growth however has come from joining an online mixed media school.
I absolutely LOVE the work I am producing and experimenting with all the time.
Creating Intuitively from love has been a saving grace the last few years & I AM truly grateful for that. My art page on Facebook is Intuitive Art, Works for Your Soul.
