Seven
years ago, Cynthia Reid left a successful career as a physician in
North Carolina to pursue a passion for painting that had begun in earnest
while she was practicing medicine.
In working with oil paints, Cynthia uses a
palette knife technique that reflects her appreciation of the textures
of the land.
She
juxtaposes
complementary,
vibrant colors to recreate the joy and beauty of the natural world,
with a special emphasis on the shifting of light and shadow. Her inspiration
comes from the endless variety of colors and shapes found in nature, as well
as
from man-made objects that are integrated into landscapes.
Cynthia’s style incorporates
elements of both expressionistic and impressionistic traditions, although
it
also
suggests the work
of postimpressionistic
painters
such as Van Gogh and Cezanne. Despite these affinities, she uses
her palette knife to produce paintings with a distinctive look and
feel.
Several years ago, Cynthia Reid left a successful career as a physician to pursue a passion for painting that had begun in earnest while she was practicing medicine.
In working with oil paints, Cynthia uses a palette knife technique to juxtapose complementary, vibrant colors in order to recreate the joy, beauty, and textures of the natural world. In much of her work, there is a particular emphasis on the shifting of light and shadow.
Traveling and painting throughout the West, Cynthia finds inspiration in the diverse landscape of the Southwest, the spectacular mountains and grasslands of Colorado, and the gardens of her Arizona home. Some of her paintings, especially those featuring poppy fields and lily ponds, reflect scenes from recent trips to France.
Cynthia believes that painting is about trusting her intuition and the process, while being open to the unpredictable. Her contemporary impressionist style keeps mystery in the painting.
A member of the American Impressionist Society and Oil Painters of America, she has studied with Kevin MacPherson and with abstract expressionist Josh Goldberg.
“I like to have a thing suggested rather than told in full. When every detail is given, the mind rests satisfied, and the imagination loses the desire to use its own wings.”
~Thomas Aldrich, Leaves from a Notebook
