Resident Artist Cindy Podren

I began painting about 20 years ago to distract myself after a personal loss. I had always wanted to paint, but the need to make a living, and the intimidation factor kept me away until then.  I am self-trained, with the help of many mentors, fellow painters, books, and museums. Currently, I paint acrylics and watercolors.

My focus is on the beauty of ordinary things. Sometimes I can only articulate what moves me by painting it. Of all elements of painting, it is color that most intrigues me.  
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In Fall 2019, I worked on acrylic pours, a fascinating combination of chemistry, chance and color.

This year, with the need to shelter, I’ve turned to homely subjects, my backyard and flowers.  Here is my backyard:

This is painted in acrylic.  I had fun with this, because I painted the frame to match and extend the design of the painting.
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In preparation for an upcoming show with an artist who does botanically accurate renderings, I have been working on painting flowers, mostly in watercolor, using a variety of techniques.  The first two were painted after gessoing the other side, which restricted the absorption ability of the paper:

The next two were done with a freer hand and very quickly:

I have a ways to go on this proposed show, but as long as it’s a joy to pick up a paint brush, I”ll keep painting.