Chandi’s love affair with Italy began the first day she visited the country in 1984. The following year she attended a college course in Florence where she studied language, culture and history. She went on to lead tours to Italy for a cross-cultural exchange organization and then created her own wedding in Italy before all of the “destination weddings in Italy” organizations cropped up. Out of that experience she created Sogni Italiani, a business she ran for six years, offering weddings, vow renewals, and honeymoons in Italy.

Chandi’s articles about food, wine, and travel in Italy have been published in various magazines and she recently walked by herself for a month on a pilgrimage route in Italy and is currently writing a book about the experience.

Chandi holds two master’s degrees. One in International Administration and Cross-Cultural Education and the other in Florentine Renaissance History. She currently teaches history at a college in Colorado. While going through a divorce Chandi was inspired by the women’s divorce support group that was so helpful for her. Now she has changed “Sogni Italiani” into “Italy Retreats” and offers retreats in Italy focused on women exploring their passions and finding their authentic life.

Chandi’s love of Italian history and Italian art, and her passion for Italian food and wine are infectious. She is a font of information and she adores sharing her love of Italy with others. Additionally, her ability with the Italian language, and her experience “making things happen” in Italy, which includes dealing with challenging Italian bureaucracy, allows those on her retreats to relax and enjoy the luscious side of Italy.

Cheryl’s love of painting began at a young age and blossomed into a full time career. As a teacher of watercolor, Cheryl takes the time to get to know her students and help each at their own level so there is a sense of accomplishment for everyone. She enjoys helping others find their own creative path through painting, and helps her students realize that there’s no right or wrong way to express themselves on paper. As a plein-air artist, she brings vivid color and the clarity of light into each painting. Collectors of her work say they can feel the excitement and energy she puts into each painting and sometimes they can even smell what must have been in the air at the time.

Cheryl first traveled to Italy on a three-week painting trip in 1999. She painted her way through Umbria, Tuscany, and Venice. She relished the landscapes and the wonderful scenes that make Italy a painter’s heaven. The following year she had a showing of her work from Italy, which sold out completely in two weeks.

Educated in Fine Art and Design at The Colorado Institute of Art and The Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, she’s been a professional artist and teacher for over 25 years as well as running her own business in Graphic Design.

She has won numerous awards over the years and is a signature member of Plein Air Artists of Colorado and The Colorado Watercolor Society. Images of her work can be viewed at her website at www.cherylstjohn.com and at several galleries in the Denver/Boulder area.