#lovelikecherylogle

One of the most rewarding things about being an artist is to see your work touch others in a positive way. I was recently commissioned to work on a project to honor a very special lady who suddenly passed away, Cheryl Ogle. Cheryl was a kindergarten teacher at Gray Elementary which is located in the community where I grew up. She also led the Guardian Angels, a non-profit that assists students' families in need and was often called a guardian angel herself. Although I never met Cheryl personally, I've seen how her death devastated all of those who knew her as well as the outpouring of love everyone has shown for her and her family. It seems that she made quite an impact in her short 42 years on Earth.

My client contacted me back in November when she saw my hand painted angel wing Christmas ornaments. Her idea was to purchase one for every teacher and administrator at Gray Elementary and add to the back #lovelikecheryogle, the hashtag created by the community, as a way to remember Cheryl. All together, this was 100 hand painted ornaments!

As you can imagine, this was a HUGE, labor-intensive process and took about a week to complete...and definitely worth every second. I feel honored that I was able to use my artistic talents as a way to keep Cheryl's memory alive. My hope is that every Christmas, those teachers will see their ornament and remember the love of this remarkable person. If you would like to learn more about Cheryl or ways to help the school, visit the facebook page created in her memory.