Cherif Fortin was born in Montreal Canada, August 19, 1970. After completing school, he left his French Canadian roots immigrating to the United States where he studied history and art at the University of Illinois. In 1991, Cherif began an impromptu career as a stunt man for a performing dinner theater, Medieval Times, choreographing acts of dressage, jousting, and hand-to-hand combat. It is here he honed his richly developed flair for drama seen vividly throughout his paintings. Soon after meeting Lynn Sanders at one of his performances, Cherif was invited to model for her professional photography group.   Recognizing his inherent artistic nature, Lynn encouraged Cherif to paint as well as model for the medieval photographic artwork she had recently developed. With her tutelage, Cherif's love of romantic medieval art and history soon evolved into a passion for re-creating the enchanting old world charm of the pre-Raphaelite masters. His artistic ability and flair for drama seen throughout their paintings are vivid reminders of his unending enthusiasm for his work.         In Cherif's own words: "What holds the viewer when they see a piece of our artwork is the feeling of motion and conflict, that nothing is ever in stasis. No matter whether the subject is a knight on horseback or lovers in the throes of each other's embrace, there is a dynamic tension there that says 'something big is happening here'."     "Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion." ~ G. W. F. Hegel   Photo© Fortin and Sanders Illustrations Used with permission