Cynthia Wister

Studio #5 | 8301 4th Street NW #11 | CynthiaWister.com | email Cindy | (505) 792-8974

I grew up in Philadelphia where my mother attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Art while raising five daughters in a home filled with art. Summers were spent in the Adirondacks, instilling a deep love of the outdoors that has carried over from the lush green forests of the East to the colorful, expansive Southwest. I studied art history and majored in painting at the Rhode Island School of Design. The emphasis on drawing at RISD has stayed with me throughout my career. Drawing is always the starting point.

I strive to keep my work fresh and spontaneous, responding to the life force that I feel in Nature. My paintings refer to a specific moment in time and a particular place. I find a natural locale that inspires me, based on the underlying landscape structure or perhaps the play of light on water. I build up layers of color and complexity until the essence of the scene takes shape. At some point the painting takes on a life of its own, transcending the original vision.