Cynthia Brodie

Artist Statement

I graduated from UC Davis with a degree in art and then I worked for some years as a book designer at Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. After that I spent some more years in freelance illustration. My main interest has always been color and depictions of animals and nature, but I periodically get inspired by an idea for something completely abstract and am always experimenting with what paint can do. Acrylics are my medium of choice because of their incredible versatility. There are so many different effects one can get through layering, texturing and glazing that the possibilities seem endless. The gallery-wrap canvases with wide edges and cradled boards are wonderful to paint on and the edges are great fun to finish with layers of iridescent, interference paint that harmonizes with the painting. I like the clean modern look of them and that they don’t need framing but still can be framed if desired. Although my main activity is painting in my studio, I also belong to a group of urban sketchers led by Richard Sheppard which is wonderful for strengthening the ability to draw and interpret what we see. Our work can be seen on the Facebook page for Urban Sketchers North Bay.