+1 ::: Why are you an artist Cyn?
I was just drawn that way. My Mother swears that I was doing murals inutero. I drew compulsively from a very young age. Images have been my natural language as long as I can remember. I think in pictures not words, creating being an obsession rather than a choice. An artist is who I am rather than what I am. To be anything else would go against my very nature. But, I would like to be Queen some day.

+2 ::: Could you tell me some more about your art?
I paint in a neoclassical style. My unusual technique is a result of being exclusive self trained, lots of trial and error, half my life spent in museums and libraries. My stories are very intimate and autobiographical. I process my life and emotions through my work. The themes are female dominant as that is the only perspective I know. Reoccuring iconography, symbols and personal myths are the foundation my work rests on.

+3 ::: Your paintings convey a lot of strong emotions. Some of the figures in your works seem to be isolated, meloncholy, or contemplating some deep mystery. Could you talk a little about these emotions and how/why they come about?
My work is how I process and deal with emotion. What I am feeling is what I paint. I paint in a meditative state which explains the introspective demeanor of many of my figures. These emotions are a binding human force....that is what connects with the viewer. The details of the story become personal once the emotion has been triggered. The power of Art.
When people meet me after knowing my work they are invariable surprised. They expect a dark, brooding, serious woman dressed in all black. What they find is more of a cartoon. I have been asked a million times...."Why is your work so serious when you laugh all of the time?"

My answer............"That is exactly why"

+4 ::: What artists have influenced you and why?
My first Love was Leonardo DaVinci*. I read his biography when I was a little girl becoming riveted and inspired by his diverse genuis. I still get goosebumps when I think of him. The list of artists I admire is vast, Carrevaggio*, Bouguereau*, Elizabeth Le Brun*, Degas*, Waterhouse*, Draper, Rembrandt*.....on and on. The consistent pull for me is technical excellence and passion and individuality.....which are precisely the qualities I strive for in my own work.

+5 ::: What do you do for fun (besides art)?
The crazy thing is that I always have fun. I am one of those loonies that finds joy in everything....even when I am completely miserable I am having a good time riding the emotional roller coaster. My children are great fun, we play and dance stupid. I have many many addictions...all of which I adore. Travel, wine, sex, shoes, animals, shopping, sex (not with animals) dance, yoga, sex, books, exercise, everything about presents (giving and getting, wrapping, opening, shopping and creating). Everything is FUN!

+6 ::: What inspires you to paint and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?
Needing inspiration and motivation isn't one of those things that I have ever had trouble with. The whole creative block thing dosn't compute. The closest I experience to a block is those days when no matter what you do.....everything comes out crap. When I was younger I would allow the frustration to compound the problem, banging away all day determined to make it work, which of course it never would. Now when that happens, I just walk away, read a book, open a bottle of wine, call a friend.....anything but paint. Some days it's magic, somedays it's crap....that was a hard lesson to learn.

+7 ::: How have you handled the business side of being an artist?
Roughly and ineptly, like a surgeon wearing mittens. Treating Art as a business is probably the bane of most artists existence. It certainly is for me. When I did portraits and murals it was easy, I was providing a service for a set amount of money. A business arrangement between me and a client. Now I am selling chunks of my soul through dealers and galleries which is an entirely different matter. How much are chunks of your soul worth? A very prickly question without a concrete answer.

+8 ::: Where do you see youself in 10 years?
I plan to become a vagabond painter. Residing in a different city every year. Aside from this romantic notion of travel, I try not to make too many projections for the future. Spontaneity is a good color for me.

+9 ::: Your techniques and style are very classical. Do you ever wander from this traditional path and experiment with other styles?
I believe very strongly that every artist has their own individual dialect. To tell my story in another dialect would be disgenuine. No, other styles don't interest me.

+10 ::: What are your latest works about and where are you going with them?
The work of late has been by far my boldest. I am dealing with intense aspects of life and transition. Birth, Death, Aging, letting the current take us gracefully. Not easy stuff.

+11 ::: What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?
Being an artist is wearing cruel shoes and liking it.