Chryl was fortunate to grow up with Larry Casso, her father, who was a professional artist, instructor and Director of the Baton Rouge Fine Arts Academy in Baton Rouge and Mandeville, Louisiana. She started art lessons at the Academy at the age of twelve, later assisting with children’s lessons as a teenager. By the time of high school graduation, she was selling most of her original work in the Baton Rouge area. Chryl continued her art during and after her college years when time permitted, refining her skills, and completing many pieces of original work, both commissions and commercial art. After moving to Mandeville over 30 years ago, she worked as an assistant art instructor at the Mandeville Branch of the Academy until her dad’s death.
Chryl’s Dad was a profound mentor during his lifetime, and she attended classes and workshops he offered. Andrew Wyeth and John Singer Sargent are among her favorite artists, both for their style and works completed in watercolor. She has every book published on these legendary artists.
Watercolor is such a versatile medium and Chryl most often uses a limited palette consisting of four or five colors, the colors that can be mixed are endless and always look fresh and vivid. Chryl and her husband were avid boaters for many years so many of her paintings are composed from scenes along the scenic Tchefuncte River, in Lake Ponchartrain, the Rigoles, and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in addition to her travels in the Unites States and abroad. In addition to nautical paintings and landscapes, Chryl also has done a number of portraits including one of each of her four grandchildren.
One of her proudest moments was selection as the 2005 Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival poster artist. She is a signature member and member of the LWS Board of Directors serving as the Publications Chair. She is also a member of the Northwest Watercolor Society, the Art Guild of Louisiana, and the Lacombe Art Guild. She currently teaches beginner and advanced classes at Abbey Art Works in Covington, Louisiana.
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