Cheryl McAlister

Painter, Draftsman

I am a painter working primarily in chalk pastels and acrylics to investigate dramatic light and color relationships in coastal Maine landscapes. My current work uses environmental observation as a foundation for exploring how compositional structure and explosive color contrasts can create visual energy that transcends literal representation.

Rather than depicting landscape scenes directly, I develop compositions through bold formal relationships that emerge from natural phenomena—sky reflections, fractured water patterns, seasonal vegetation. Working primarily from photographs in the studio, I push beyond conventional landscape painting toward color-focused interpretations that maintain connection to observed coastal Maine environments.

My approach prioritizes dramatic contrasts and geometric pattern relationships over traditional landscape description, creating work that functions through formal investigation while respecting representational painting traditions.