Cheryl King Keefer finds abundant inspiration in the beautiful Appalachian foothills, farmland, and people that surround her.  Whether painting a watercolor portrait in her studio, or an oil landscape beside a stream, she is passionate about rendering the essence of her subject through the use of the paint, assured brush work, and spontaneity. Keefer finds simple beauty in ordinary subjects...sunlight on field, shadow patterns in a rocky stream, colors of an antiquated barn. If she can give the viewer a sense of the beauty she finds, then her goal has been accomplished. Her easel is portable and Cheryl takes it with her often, as splendor can be found everywhere there is light! 

Upon earning degrees in art and gifted education with concentrations in painting, and art history, Keefer taught art to gifted children of all ages, including college.  Currently, when not painting, Keefer teaches workshops covering skills from drawing to watercolor portraiture to oil plein air. She finds nothing more enriching than working in her own studio, but but she has studied with renowned artists including Frank Fleming, Birmingham. Phillip Carpenter, Atlanta, was her mentor at Jacksonville State University, as was Lee Manors.  Cheryl Keefer spent several summers under the tutelage of Michael Drought at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was fortunate enough to paint along side Irene Perry.  Recently,she studied portrait painting with: Richard Schmid's student and associate, Clayton J. Beck, III of the Palette and Chisel, Chicago; Pat Weaver, Ft. Lauderdale; and John De La Vega, Nags Head.  Keefer has always been fascinated by the creative genius of artists throughout history, and travels to museums in the United States and Europe continues to prove invaluable to her as an artist." Keefer is a member of the Western North Carolina Plein Air Painters (WNCPAP).