Cheri Blum Open Studio

When Cheri drops and breaks a dish in her kitchen, she doesn't throw it away. She plants it in her garden! When her shoes wear holes through the soles, Cheri fills them with dirt, converts them into planters and hangs them on the wall. And when a piece of driftwood washes up on the shore, she wouldn't think of casting it aside. Instead, she turns it into a coffee table.

"I'm drawn to things that are old, have character and a sense of nostalgia," Cheri says. "To me, the older an object gets, the better it looks. It doesn't wear out, it wears in."

She is fascinated by the wear and tear of time and by the history of an item. "Who owned it, what's the story behind it…it stimulates my imagination and serves as an inspiration for my work."

Cheri Blum's Studio Walking into Cheri's studio, nestled on the banks of the Sassafras River in Maryland, is like taking a step back in time. The former nineteenth-century tenant farmer's house is filled with items that have seen several generations of owners. The studio, reflecting the simple country life Cheri finds so appealing and inspiring, has been described as a combination of charming timeworn objects, cozy familiarity, and simple practical living. "The result is a sophisticated simplicity," she says. "It's casual, yet elegant."

The walls are covered with unusual objects Cheri found while walking on the beach or scouring antique shops. "There's a certain joy found in discovery. I like the sense that something has evolved. It has a history," she says.

A worn pair of clogs hangs on the wall and serves as the home to hens-and-chicks cacti. An old loom is used to display Cheri's paintbrushes. A broken lamp accessorizes a bookcase and serves as a candlestick holder. Perhaps most unusual is the sign that hangs on the outside of her studio that was once an old racing sail.

Cheri Blum's Studio Cheri's style is eclectic, yet selective. Each accessory is carefully chosen for some notable quality and arranged in such a way that it can be easily moved around on a whim. "I need to be able to accommodate each new find I bring home," she says.

Her quirky style has found its way into her garden, as well. The beds are edged with recycled bits of broken dishes and colored glass. Crab pots, once used to catch a seaman's dinner, now sprout beautiful plants. An old peeling door propped up against the side of the house adds a touch of whimsy to the flowers below. "Gardening is just another form of art for me," Cheri says. "It's like working with a living canvas."

"I've created an environment for myself that promotes a deep sense of connection with nature and with the history of the area," she explains. "My studio has become my sanctuary."

It is not a surprise that Cheri's affinity for the timeless appeal of aging objects is evident in her art. Her pieces pay homage to the beauty of time passing by. She simulates the effects of age and weather that she finds on objects such as cracked linen and driftwood, and incorporates them into her artwork. Cheri also creates her own worn surfaces through a variety of somewhat unorthodox techniques, such as running a finished canvas through the washing machine to create an antique look.

Cheri Blum Paintings "One of my goals is to take the fine art aspect of the Old Masters and combine it with a worn hand-crafted look that suits today's styles," she explains. "I love to paint on scraps, to find unusual painting surfaces and to create something from nothing…to take something that would otherwise look plain or be thrown away, and transfer it into something special."

"My work represents an appreciation for what is used and well-loved," she continues. "Even when I buy something new, I paint it to make it look old."