The Autumn Stretch

he lily pads have been bright curved discs of exuberant green for most of the season. With the Autumn cool comes the curling of the lily pads and change in colours. The last of the flowers and the myriad of buzzing and wriggling life above and below the water line are disappearing.

The lily pads move from the excitable green of spring to bunker green, with some clocking out into golds, copper and brown. The Autumn stretch is upon the pond and the distant shadows begin to slide further across the surface. Leaf fall in the twilight to remind us all things must pass…until Spring

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Cheryl Willcox is an Australian oil painter known for her luminous, impressionistic paintings of lily ponds, coastal landscapes, and expressive florals. Based on the Central Coast of NSW, Cheryl draws daily inspiration from the rock shelves, ocean light, and abundant plant life surrounding her home.
A professionally trained artist and lifelong educator, Cheryl blends traditional realism with bold, intuitive brushwork. Her paintings are built in layers, capturing movement, energy, and the subtle shifts of colour and light that define the Australian landscape.
Cheryl’s work is deeply autobiographical — each painting holds a memory, a feeling, or a moment from her everyday life. Widely collected across Australia and internationally, her paintings offer a quiet, uplifting presence in the home, inviting viewers to pause, breathe, and reconnect with beauty.