About Sheryl Checkman

Sheryl Checkman is an award-winning designer with more than 25 years' experience in applying innovative yet pragmatic solutions to the full range of communications and design challenges. Before opening Checkman Design, Sheryl was Vice President & Manager, Design Services, for the public relations agency Burson-Marsteller from 1981-1992. Prior to that she was an Art Director at the The Barton Gillet Company, a marketing communications firm. Sheryl graduated from Cornell University and attended a Masters program in Communications Design at Pratt Institute as well as a three-month design program at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. She graduated from the High School of Music & Art in New York City. Sheryl is an avid skier and scuba diver. She swims, plays tennis, practices yoga and enjoys taking pictures, both above and below the water. She adds her creative signature to her photographs by creating Digital Fine Art which she currently exhibits in her online gallery. She recently launched a line of inspirational sports-themed T-shirts under the name Life is Balance®. In addition to her design work, Sheryl also creates custom photomontages for a variety of corporate and consumer clients.

Happy Holidays

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Sheryl Checkman

Happy Holidays Peace Love Balance

This past year has been challenging for many, myself included. But in looking ahead to 2013, I have to hope that the new year will bring better things for us all. I hope for a more peaceful world – one without wars and conflict and without senseless shootings of innocent children and adults. I hope for love – who couldn’t use a little more love? Love others, love what you do and love yourself (faults and all). And, I hope for balance. Work hard but take time to smell the roses, make time for friends and family and know that it is just as important to take time out to do something that makes you feel good as it is to spend time working.

I wish everyone a very happy holiday and hope for the New Year!

Fresh Air, Foliage and Rock Scrambling

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Sheryl Checkman

Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

I balance my life with active sports – swimming, scuba diving, skiing, biking, practicing yoga, or in this case – hiking and rock scrambling. This past Sunday was a perfect day to escape the city, see the foliage and test my stamina and courage on the Mohonk Mountain rock scramble, known as The Labyrinth. The sign below describes the scramble, weeding out the less athletic and adventuresome, and in case it doesn’t, the first few tricky spots, climbing through caverns within the rock at the beginning of the trail, will.

SIgn for The Labyrinth at Mohonk Mountain

Sign at the beginning of the Rock Scramble leading up to the crevice, better known to hikers, as “The Lemon Squeeze.”

This trail challenges the body as well as the mind. I’ve done this rock scramble several times in the past, but each time I still feel that initial tinge of fear, awed by the physical challenge and my fear of heights. But once I get going and get into the rhythm of figuring out where my next step needs to be to get me to the next plateau, I forget my fear and focus on the rocks and the awesome beauty surrounding me. My yoga practice came in handy when I needed to position my whole body in

Midway through the Mohonk Rock Scramble. Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

At the end of the rock scramble is the famous Lemon Squeeeze, a fissure in the middle of the rock cliff that one must climb through to reach the summit. There was a lineup of people waiting to ascend, since getting up out of it at the top after climbing the series of narrow ladders is a bit tricky. The space is so narrow that any backpack you might be wearing up until that point needs to come off, hopefully to be handed up to a friend who has already made it out. I managed, with some effort to get my backpack (with camera inside) as well as my friend’s pack below me safely handed up to my friend waiting above. Then, finding hand and foot holds to maneuver into, I hoisted myself up and out of the crevice onto a plateau overlooking a breath taking view of the Shawangunk mountain range, known to climbers and hikers as the Gunks.

The Lemon Squeeze (or Crevice). Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

View from the top of The Lemon Squeeze. Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

Sheryl Checkman makes it to the top of Mohonk Mountain

Made it… what a view!

Once through the Lemon Squeeze, we had to hike up another short scramble to get to the SkyTop Tower where we were met with a 360 degree view of the entire Shawangunk mountains and Mohonk Mountain House down below – all ablaze in the peak fall colors. After taking in the view (and a few dozen photos later), we hiked down the walking path back to the lake and the Mountain House below. Along the way, we stopped to admire the views from the various wooden pagodas strategically situated along the way.

View from the top of the Tower at Mohonk

View from the top of the Skytop Tower. Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

Finally down at the end of the trail, my body was tired (just a slight indication of the aches I’d be feeling for the next few days) but my spirit was energized. There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment that come with the completion of challenging physical activity! After a cup of tea and some cookies on the porch of the Mountain House, it was time to head back to the city for a good night’s sleep and ready to tackle the upcoming work week.

The Ocean’s Final Performance…

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Sheryl Checkman

Being the beach lover that I am, I find it hard to say goodbye to summer. Living as I do in the Northeast, my days of beach-going usually last just past Labor Day or the middle of September. I paid the ocean one last visit a couple of weekends ago when I went to visit a friend in Sag Harbor on the eastern end of Long Island. After kayaking in the bay in the morning, we drove to our favorite beach in Amagansett – Atlantic Ave Beach. The sky was bright blue and crystal clear and even though it was late in the day and there had been a chill in the air by the bay earlier, the sun on the beach felt warm against my skin. The colors of the water, the sky and the beach were vivid and vibrant – much more so than in the middle of summer when the humidity often casts a gauzy haze over the seascape. But on that day, everything was super focused, sharp and clear, making sure that picture would remain with me throughout the rest of the year.

It must have known that this was my final visit for the year because the ocean put on the most spectacular show! Huge waves, curling perfectly and then crashing down in perfectly timed sets performed a magnificent dance. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. I must have taken over 200 photos in the hour and a half that I was there! And way too soon it was time to leave the beach and that glorious ocean and head back to the city and towards a new season. But the ocean remains. It will continue to dance throughout the year, and while I may not be there for each performance, I will remember this last one until I return next summer.