A WOMAN & HER TOOLS
ABOUT CINDY LOU CHENARD
Contemporary landscape painter Cindy Chenard has been adding color to the world since she was a young girl. Her early adventures with a paintbrush lead to a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design/Textiles from N.C. State University/School of Design. Cindy worked as a textile industry colorist, and art educator, prior to establishing herself as a fine crafts entrepreneur. For several decades Cindy created art weavings and was well known as a fiber artist.
Ten years ago, Cindy’s lifelong appreciation for Mid-Century Modern art and architecture, and its minimalist designs and bold colors, lead her to once again pick up a paintbrush. She added wood and a saw to the mix, and her modern landscape painting career began! Her son, Keenan, is now her studio assistant.
DYNAMIC DESIGN
Cindy works with meticulously balanced shapes and carefully harmonized color arrangements to create dramatic eye catching paintings.
Her artworks begin with a sketch of a mountain scene. Some of these designs become acrylic paintings on gallery wrapped canvas. Cindy also works with multiple layers of shaped birch wood in a unique painting technique she has developed.
For these ‘dimensional’ 3-D layered wood paintings, Cindy scales up her sketch to the desired size, and transfers the layout to pieces of thin birch plywood.
DIMENSIONAL PAINTING
Using band and scroll saws, Cindy cuts precisely shaped pieces of wood that will be fitted into her layered design. After cutting the wood, she sands and prepares the wood, creating subtly rounded edges and a silky smooth surface for painting.
The layers of shaped wood in Cindy’s dimensional paintings create shadows which gives the viewer a different looking painting from every angle. The sense of space in the painting is also magnified by the layers.
After each piece of shaped wood is painted, Cindy assembles the layers securing the pieces with adhesive, pressure and custom border braces.
COLOR HARMONY
Cindy is known for her beautiful use of color, which is carefully planned, and mixed for maximum textural effect and subtle gradations.
She strives to play colors off of each other, have a balanced feel to the mood the color creates, and to reflect the richness of color in nature.
Cindy’s use of color is often referred to as “Amazing!” and people remark on the calming, peaceful feel the color in her paintings generates.
MASTER CRAFTSMANSHIP
The technical expertise of Cindy’s landscape paintings combined with their bold design elements and tranquil color harmonies makes for unforgettable works of art!
All of Cindy’s dimensional paintings are finished with professional black wooden frames. Both dimensional paintings and gallery wrapped canvas paintings include hanging hardware, making them ready to take home and place on your wall.
Cindy provides a Certificate of Authentication with all original paintings.
WNC ARTIST
Cindy is a native North Carolinian and descendent of generations of artisans. She lives in Black Mountain - a vibrant arts community of Western North Carolina. She loves hiking, has a lifelong fascination with geometry, and is inspired by the deep sense of space and ever changing colors of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Cindy an award winning artist whose landscape and abstract artworks are enjoyed by collectors around the world. Her paintings are a favorite among art lovers frequenting Asheville, NC where she exhibits at the WOOLWORTH WALK GALLERY downtown, and 362 DEPOT GALLERY in the re-opened Upper River Arts District.
REFLECTIONS: Multi-Dimensional Landscapes & Abstracts
EXHIBITION DATES: Thursday, November 6th thru Wednesday, December 17th
RECEPTION & EVENING WITH THE ARTIST: Thursday, November 6, from 6:00 – 7:00 PM
“Asheville School’s John M. Crawford, Jr. Art Gallery is proud to present Reflections: Multi-Dimensional Landscapes and Abstracts, an exhibition of landscape paintings by Asheville-based artist Cindy Lou Chenard. Cindy Lou Chenard’s landscape paintings radiate a Mid-Century Modern elegance, blending rich tones, dynamic light, and layered depth to create peaceful, immersive scenes that bring a sense of calm and beauty to any space...” LEARN MORE HERE