The Studio of Mary Ann Cherry

Given the diverse range of her talents and commitments—oil and pastel painter, workshop instructor, novelist, and current President of the Women Artists of the West—it’s not surprising that Mary Ann Cherry loves the opportunities she enjoys by having two working studios. She does the majority of her creative work in a studio at the family home she shares with her husband Bob. Situated on two acres at the edge of the Snake River, just a few miles north of Idaho Falls, Idaho, that studio is informal, with a rural feel that is somewhat of an extension of the outdoors.

“When we moved here some 20 years ago, we designed studio space for me above the garage,” Cherry says. “The construction included installing two steel posts and a huge beam to handle the weight. In order to grab as much of the north light as possible, we installed triangular windows over the hip of the garage roof. This created a wonderful, light-filled space, which also opens onto a small outdoor deck, where I can simply step outside to varnish an oil painting or spray a pastel.”