Your Bio

Welcome to Cynthia Smidt's Online Art Galleries!

Who Am I?
I'm a Seattle-based artist with roots in the DC area. I primarily create paintings and drawings, but I have also created prints, sculpture and photography.

A Bit About My Artwork…
My artwork is deeply influenced by light, color, and my profound reverence for the natural world. In my most current work I endeavor to connect my viewer with the spirit of a place. I do this by conveying the magic I experience in the everyday world and my own personal awe of nature within my work.

As an artist I am always discovering new mediums, techniques, and inspiration for my work. Over the years I have enjoyed working in many interesting directions. Although I have grouped my artwork according to technique and subject matter, you will find that some collections may overlap a bit.

Be sure to check out our newest galleries, especially the new En Plein Air, as well as the En plein air et de la mémoire, Nature Studies, and the Wall Hangings galleries.

**I am currently offering prints of my work. Soon you'll be able to order your very own print via my website for less then you'd pay to purchase an original work of art. Until then if you are interested in purchasing a print, please feel free to contact me.**

Featured Galleries

En Plein Air : These plein air pieces are aqua pencil drawings that I created while visiting different parks in and around Seattle. I began working to slowly fade my pieces out allowing my marks to work with my paper to recreate the beauty before me without recreating each and every detail. I added touches with my brush, activating my marks and making them more fluid. Then I added more marks and color to my pieces, bringing each piece to a point of finish.

En Plein Air

These plein air pieces are aqua pencil drawings that I created while v ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2008 6:34pm PST

En Plein Air Et De La Mémoire : These pieces are part of my 2007 drawing begun and finished in outdoors or plein air and added to in my studio, using memory as a tool. This series was mainly created on-site at the Washington Arboretum. I began this series after suffering an injury that made it difficult for me to walk for more then a few minutes or sit for long stretches of time. My injury prevented me from connecting to my inspiration through my daily nature walks. The beauty of our world was not only the inspiration for my work, but also a salve for my soul and without it, I felt deviated. Then I discovered that the Arboretum’s location and design would give me easy access to the nature that inspired my work. I began my series with “The Cherry Blossom Tree”, exploring the idea of the borders within a piece, contemplating boundaries, and wondering, “where does this piece end?” Moving beyond this, I began to ponder when a piece is finished, and how much information is required to convey the spirit of the place. I slowly lightened my marks, encapsulating the beauty before me without recreating each and every detail. In my studio I added touches with my brush, activating my marks and making them more fluid. Then I returned to Arboretum to add more color and breathe life into the work. These ideas evolved within my work, piece by piece, as I began my physical and emotional healing process. This series documents, not only, the beauty of the world around us but also the importance of the Arboretum and the nature-filled parks throughout the city of Seattle. These areas are not the chain-link fenced-in dirt and anemic patches of grass that pass for parks in many cities. They are oasises waiting to bring joy and balance to our lives. It is my hope that my work helps viewers remember and reconnect with the beauty and spirit of our everyday world, inspiring us to ensure the health of our environment, now and in the future.

En Plein Air Et De La Mémoire

These pieces are part of my 2007 drawing begun and finished in outdoor ...

Updated: May 02, 2008 4:15pm PST

Nature Studies : This series began as studies for my Wall Hanging Series, however it soon became obvious that these pieces stood on their own. These pieces are subjects I discovered on meditative walks in the Catoctin Mountains, a place I hiked often as both a child and an adult. I captured my subjects on film, carefully choosing my composition and depth of field. Then I would stop and sketch my subject if time. These images were not mere reminders of the visual aspects of the place, but, even more importantly, they helped me to capture how the place emotionally affected me. In my studio I strove to bring out the vibrance that transformed a simple landscape into a fascinating subject in my mind. I brought my emotional reaction to the viewer using a variety of techniques. I alter my marks and exaggerate color, form, and light to reveal the personality of the subject. My work has been inspired by the Group of Seven who also worked to bring the landscape around them to life. Their work was in part an effort to make the art world and society at large recognize the beauty of the Canadian landscape in a time when European schools of thought on painting as well as landscape often caused people to overlook the beauty of the everyday world.

Nature Studies

This series began as studies for my Wall Hanging Series, however it so ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 7:22pm PST

Wall Hangings : When I began this series I was still interested in changing the shape of my work and getting away from the traditional idea of rectangular artwork. At the same time, I was fascinated by the idea of windows, bring the outdoors in, and creating pieces that would be personal meditative devices for my viewers, no matter what environment they inhabited. In part this format was essential to my work because it gave me the freedom to shape my work and push the borders of stretched canvas. I was able to branch out of the frame and move my pieces beyond the conventional. However, it was the spiritual connection I felt to the Japanese scrolls and screens on display at the Walters Art Museum that sparked my desire to create a series of wall hangings. Just the simple act of removing these pieces from a frame made them feel precious, special, and almost sacred. Presenting my pieces in this handmade manner helps to deepen the meditative aspect of the work. It brings my art out of the realm of the factory-made canvases and frames, taking away the machine-made perfection that is expected from such presentation. This helps viewer form a personal connection to the subject, and hopefully to nature itself. These pieces are subjects I discovered on meditative walks in the Catoctin Mountains, a place I hiked often as both a child and an adult. Each place that I have chosen to paint stirred something in my soul and made me stop to take in its beauty. My hope is to inspire the viewer to feel the same reverence I felt while looking at the scrolls in the museum's collection and at the inspiring landscape. I believe that creating these connections is essential in a culture where economic forces threaten our planet and in a society that grows further and further from nature with every generation.

Wall Hangings

When I began this series I was still interested in changing the shape ...

Updated: Nov 05, 2007 4:36pm PST

Galleries

Black & White Drawings : Before you can walk, you must be able to crawl. Before you can paint, you must be able to draw. So, I feel that it is important to include this collection in my online gallery. I have always loved to draw. As an art student I worked mainly from real life. My first life drawing classes in college gave me a chance to increase my drawing skills and to work from both still lifes and the human figure. This group of artwork includes pencil, pen and ink, and charcoal drawings that I feel explore a number of subjects and techniques. The pieces are handled in a variety of ways and I feel that they illustrate various skills that each artist must possess.

Black & White Drawings

Before you can walk, you must be able to crawl. Before you can paint, ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 7:18pm PST

Limited Edition Lithographic Prints : The term print is often used to refer to commercially reproduced images, like posters. However, a fine art print is one where the artist participates in the creation of the image and approves the impressions. I drew and printed each and every print in this collection. Unlike a number of different types of printmaking techniques that rely on incised or carved lines, the lithographic process deals with the repulsion of grease and water. A lithographic print is generally made when a press is used to transfer an image that was created initially on a metal plate to paper. It requires the chemical interaction of grease, nitric acid, gum arabic, and water on a chemically prepared plate. An artist uses crayons, pencils, and washes with a high grease content to draw an image, in reverse, on a prepared fine-grained aluminum plate. The finished drawing is chemically treated to stabilize the image for printing. Then the plate is inked up and the paper is carefully placed on the plate. Next, the plate is run through the printing press. Finally, the paper is removed and the new print is allowed to dry. Each print is identified with two numbers separated by a slash, such as 5/6, which we read to say “5 of 6.” The bottom number tells you how many prints were made in this series or edition. In this case there were a total of six prints made. The top number tells you the specific designation for this print. Here, this print in the fifth print made out of six.

Limited Edition Lithographic Prints

The term print is often used to refer to commercially reproduced image ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 9:09pm PST

Natural Perspectives : My parents worked hard to instill a love for the outdoors in their children. We often visited the nearby state parks, the Catoctin Mountains, and various beaches. As a result I have always had a deep loved of nature. The beauty of the natural world has never ceased to amaze and inspire me. So, it is no surprise that I have often created art based on the beautiful landscapes around me. This influence can be seen in the pieces in this collection as well as many of the others listed on my site. This group of pieces varies greatly with respect to the materials used, the size, and the treatment of the subject matter. However, each piece portrays my emotional response to my surroundings. I hope you enjoy viewing these pieces as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Natural Perspectives

My parents worked hard to instill a love for the outdoors in their chi ...

Updated: Mar 16, 2007 12:05am PST

Movable Murals : These pieces illustrate a new method that enables me to offer my clients murals and large artwork that can easily move with them. As an artist I very much enjoy creating large pieces. Unfortunately, this can be problematic because of the cost of materials and the difficulty of moving large pieces from my studio to a client, a gallery, or a new studio. While I was attempting to come up with a solution to this problem, I found that I had an overwhelming desire to literally change the shape of my work. I wanted to get away from the traditional idea of rectangular artwork. At the same time, I was fascinated by the idea of windows and having the ability to create murals for my rental. I solved all of these problems by creating movable murals and wall hangings. Movable murals are painted directly on canvas, which is attached to the wall with staples. This format makes it easy to install and remove the artwork. Because they are installed with staples, it is easy to patch the holes in the drywall when the piece is removed. Furthermore, these pieces can easily be rolled up and transported. These new formats allowed me to work with the pushing traditional borders in my work as well as easily altering the shape of my work. This new method of working also enables me to offer my clients murals and large artwork that can easily move with them. Better yet, these pieces can be created without the scheduling hassle that on-site wall murals require.

Movable Murals

These pieces illustrate a new method that enables me to offer my clien ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 5:56pm PST

Natural Spirit : These pieces were grouped together because of their connection to my spirit as well as their connection to the spirit of the earth. My inspiration for these pieces is drawn from my quest for personal and spiritual growth, as well as from the world around me. During the time that many of these pieces were created, I was deeply influenced by my drawing teacher and his interest in the Native American culture. I loved the respect that Native Americans gave to the earth and all of its gifts. At this time I also became acquainted with the healing practices of the Congo people who lived in the region of Zaire during the late 19th century. This group often commissioned nkisi figures that they believed held a spiritual force that would heal spiritual, physical, and emotional conflicts. The idea of finding healing through both nature and art became strong themes in my work. My personal journey of self-discovery and self-expression has caused me to examine the role of art in spirituality and day-to-day life. This, in turn, sparked my interest in alternative methods of healing and Eastern methodologies.

Natural Spirit

These pieces were grouped together because of their connection to my s ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 8:56pm PST

The World Around Us : I began to seriously study drawing and painting during high school. Like most art students I mainly worked from real life. In my senior year I became one of the first AP art students at my school. This gave me the chance to create and choose my own subject matter. Many of the pieces in this group are based on still lifes that I created. During this time I was deeply influenced by the Impressionists and their use of light, brush stroke, and color. As a result, I began experimenting with color. I also began to paint with short, quick brush strokes applying thicker layers of colorful paint. My playful approach to color, perspective, and form gave my later pieces a somewhat abstracted appearance.

The World Around Us

I began to seriously study drawing and painting during high school. Li ...

Updated: Mar 26, 2007 3:12pm PST

Design : During high school and college my teachers worked hard to instill in each art student the need to understand and use the elements of art and the principles of design. The beauty of design is that it requires an artist to utilize the same artistic skills in a new and different way. Much like creating a solid, abstract piece of artwork, creating a design pushes the artist to simplify artwork and create something new. Although all of the pieces in this collection are handled in different ways, each artwork was created using the same creative thought process.

Design

During high school and college my teachers worked hard to instill in e ...

Updated: Mar 26, 2007 3:37pm PST

Black & White Photography : I began a serious study of photography in the summer of 1998. Although my first few months as a photographer were a struggle, I came to love this art form. Once I understood the tricks of the trade, the mechanics of my camera and the equipment of the darkroom became a beautiful outlet for my creativity. As an artist, I have worked mostly with black and white photography. However, I recently begun using my color photographs as a basis for my other artwork. The photographs in this collection are ones that I believe can be considered true artworks. Each piece was carefully composed to accentuate the elements of art and the principles of design. I am happy to say that I personally developed each roll of film and printed each print myself. I can only hope that you will enjoy the pieces as much as I enjoyed creating them.

Black & White Photography

I began a serious study of photography in the summer of 1998. Although ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 6:02pm PST

Commissioned Wall Hangings : As an artist I very much enjoy creating large pieces. Unfortunately, this can be problematic because of the cost of materials and the difficulty of moving large pieces from my studio to a client, a gallery, or a new studio. One of my solution to this problem was to create wall hangings. The featured wall hanging, Far Off Travels was created on sewn canvas. This piece is hung from two bamboo rods, at the top and bottom of the piece. This style of hanging work was inspired by a number of Japanese scrolls and screens that I saw at the Walter's Art Gallery. To make the process of working on my large scale work easy to follow, I have included some of the photographs that I used to create the featured piece.

Commissioned Wall Hangings

As an artist I very much enjoy creating large pieces. Unfortunately, t ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 6:00pm PST

Traditional Wall Murals : "Mountain View" was my first attempt at a traditional wall mural. My previous murals were painted on large pieces of canvas that attached to the wall, allowing the owners of the artwork to move their murals as they moved from home to home. Completing this commissioned work presented a series of challenges. While creating this piece, I learned not only about the properties of dry wall and how it reacts to acrylic paint, but also about creating large, time-intensive paintings on location. In fact, this is my largest work to date measuring 8' by 9'. The subject matter for the piece was adapted from a photo I had taken of the Catoctin Mountains in Thurmont, Maryland. Changes made to the subject were done at the client's request. Due to the confines of the room, I have been unable to capture the whole mural with one photo. Instead, this collection contains a number of images ordered in an attempt to give the viewer the chance to see the entire piece.

Traditional Wall Murals

"Mountain View" was my first attempt at a traditional wall mural. My ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 5:49pm PST

Wall Hangings : When I began this series I was still interested in changing the shape of my work and getting away from the traditional idea of rectangular artwork. At the same time, I was fascinated by the idea of windows, bring the outdoors in, and creating pieces that would be personal meditative devices for my viewers, no matter what environment they inhabited. In part this format was essential to my work because it gave me the freedom to shape my work and push the borders of stretched canvas. I was able to branch out of the frame and move my pieces beyond the conventional. However, it was the spiritual connection I felt to the Japanese scrolls and screens on display at the Walters Art Museum that sparked my desire to create a series of wall hangings. Just the simple act of removing these pieces from a frame made them feel precious, special, and almost sacred. Presenting my pieces in this handmade manner helps to deepen the meditative aspect of the work. It brings my art out of the realm of the factory-made canvases and frames, taking away the machine-made perfection that is expected from such presentation. This helps viewer form a personal connection to the subject, and hopefully to nature itself. These pieces are subjects I discovered on meditative walks in the Catoctin Mountains, a place I hiked often as both a child and an adult. Each place that I have chosen to paint stirred something in my soul and made me stop to take in its beauty. My hope is to inspire the viewer to feel the same reverence I felt while looking at the scrolls in the museum's collection and at the inspiring landscape. I believe that creating these connections is essential in a culture where economic forces threaten our planet and in a society that grows further and further from nature with every generation.

Wall Hangings

When I began this series I was still interested in changing the shape ...

Updated: Nov 05, 2007 4:36pm PST

Nature Studies : This series began as studies for my Wall Hanging Series, however it soon became obvious that these pieces stood on their own. These pieces are subjects I discovered on meditative walks in the Catoctin Mountains, a place I hiked often as both a child and an adult. I captured my subjects on film, carefully choosing my composition and depth of field. Then I would stop and sketch my subject if time. These images were not mere reminders of the visual aspects of the place, but, even more importantly, they helped me to capture how the place emotionally affected me. In my studio I strove to bring out the vibrance that transformed a simple landscape into a fascinating subject in my mind. I brought my emotional reaction to the viewer using a variety of techniques. I alter my marks and exaggerate color, form, and light to reveal the personality of the subject. My work has been inspired by the Group of Seven who also worked to bring the landscape around them to life. Their work was in part an effort to make the art world and society at large recognize the beauty of the Canadian landscape in a time when European schools of thought on painting as well as landscape often caused people to overlook the beauty of the everyday world.

Nature Studies

This series began as studies for my Wall Hanging Series, however it so ...

Updated: Mar 15, 2007 7:22pm PST

En Plein Air Et De La Mémoire : These pieces are part of my 2007 drawing begun and finished in outdoors or plein air and added to in my studio, using memory as a tool. This series was mainly created on-site at the Washington Arboretum. I began this series after suffering an injury that made it difficult for me to walk for more then a few minutes or sit for long stretches of time. My injury prevented me from connecting to my inspiration through my daily nature walks. The beauty of our world was not only the inspiration for my work, but also a salve for my soul and without it, I felt deviated. Then I discovered that the Arboretum’s location and design would give me easy access to the nature that inspired my work. I began my series with “The Cherry Blossom Tree”, exploring the idea of the borders within a piece, contemplating boundaries, and wondering, “where does this piece end?” Moving beyond this, I began to ponder when a piece is finished, and how much information is required to convey the spirit of the place. I slowly lightened my marks, encapsulating the beauty before me without recreating each and every detail. In my studio I added touches with my brush, activating my marks and making them more fluid. Then I returned to Arboretum to add more color and breathe life into the work. These ideas evolved within my work, piece by piece, as I began my physical and emotional healing process. This series documents, not only, the beauty of the world around us but also the importance of the Arboretum and the nature-filled parks throughout the city of Seattle. These areas are not the chain-link fenced-in dirt and anemic patches of grass that pass for parks in many cities. They are oasises waiting to bring joy and balance to our lives. It is my hope that my work helps viewers remember and reconnect with the beauty and spirit of our everyday world, inspiring us to ensure the health of our environment, now and in the future.

En Plein Air Et De La Mémoire

These pieces are part of my 2007 drawing begun and finished in outdoor ...

Updated: May 02, 2008 4:15pm PST

En Plein Air : These plein air pieces are aqua pencil drawings that I created while visiting different parks in and around Seattle. I began working to slowly fade my pieces out allowing my marks to work with my paper to recreate the beauty before me without recreating each and every detail. I added touches with my brush, activating my marks and making them more fluid. Then I added more marks and color to my pieces, bringing each piece to a point of finish.

En Plein Air

These plein air pieces are aqua pencil drawings that I created while v ...

Updated: Oct 08, 2008 6:34pm PST

Get A Little Edgy In Edmonds! : Please join me and my fellow Artist Trust EDGE graduates for our group art show Opening and Reception on Thursday January 15th. Come anytime between 5 and 8 pm for food, drink, socializing and art! The show be held at the Edmonds Conference Center located at 201 4th Ave N., Edmonds, WA 98020. The show is free, open to the public, and will be up through March 6th, 2009. Free street parking is readily available. Driving directions can be found here. Our opening is part of the Edmonds Art Walk. If you'd like to make an evening of it, consider downloading a copy of the Edmonds Art Walk Map. You may also want to think about visiting one of Edmonds' fine restaurants such as Chanterelle, Olives Gourmet Foods, or Thai Cottage. You can see a preview of the show below by scrolling down the page.

Get A Little Edgy In Edmonds!

Please join me and my fellow Artist Trust EDGE graduates for our group ...

Updated: Jan 07, 2009 10:59pm PST

2008 Shows : 2008 Shows! I recently participated in a group show entitled, "Seven Painters: Not In The Same Boat", during the First Thursday Art Walk on March 6, 2008 from 6-9PM at Collins Pub located at 526 2nd Ave, Seattle , WA 98104. Our show featured the work of Seven Seattle Women Painters that work in a variety of styles depicting numerous subjects and levels of abstraction. "Seven Painters: Not In The Same Boat" We were told on our first day: create a series. For us, this means putting together pieces that share at least to of the following: color palette, subject matter, the shape and size of the substrate. But from that point on, we are like boats sharing the water: no two are alike and the self-guided vessels go in many directions. We gently rub up against one another calling out with encouragement any time one of us is in need. Our instructor, professional artist Kristen Ramirez holds us afloat, providing support and guidance. Together in our studio at Pratt Fine Arts Center, we create landscapes, abstracts, representational work and even humorous pieces in a wide range of media. We are excited to share what we have accomplished separately and together.

2008 Shows

2008 Shows! I recently participated in a group show entitled, "Seven P ...

Updated: Feb 27, 2008 1:02pm PST

New Inspiration -- The Tulip Festival 2008 : I recently had the chance to attend the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington State! It was fantastic! Here are a few of the photos that I am using to supplement my sketches and drawings. Enjoy!

New Inspiration -- The Tulip Festival 2008

I recently had the chance to attend the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival i ...

Updated: May 01, 2008 10:41pm PST

Want to purchase a piece or commission a work? Please contact me at csuniqueartworks@yahoo.com.

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