Chelinay became a professional artist in 1983 and quickly establisherd a name for herself for her bold impressionist works ---winning hundreds of Art Awards Australia wide. With Drewfus, she went on many art adventures to remote and beautiful parts of the world in search of subject matter.

She is particularly talented at plein air gouache painting for which she has a unique ability to handle tricky, translucent atmospheric effects. Since 1996 Chelinay has largely devoted herself to the study and practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine and hypnotism, but has recently taken time out to paint a series of little gems in gouache and oils.