Blog

Up in her beautifully appointed loft studio, exceptionally organized without a speck of paint out of place, it’s hard to believe this is where artist Cindy Klong paints her award-winning paintings.  “Organized and Tidy” is her motto and organized and tidy it is and a perfect spot to talk about art on a sunny San Diego Sunday.

Cindy’s studio along with her home and her artwork have a strikingly feminine feel about them.  As we climb the stairs to her studio we view the many art works she and husband Robert have collected over the years.  Cindy points out Robert’s collection apart from her own pieces and surprisingly; Robert’s collection has a very similar energy.  Cindy and Robert have been together 18 years and are perfectly matched in their style and their love of art. 

As we begin to talk about her background I realize that Cindy’s early beginnings in art were at her artistic mother’s elbow.  Cindy is 3rd generation California and the second daughter born to Betty and Paul Skinner.  Cindy recalls her mother’s natural artistic talent; she was an accomplished artist and would awe and delight Cindy and her sisters with glamorous hand-drawn paper dolls and exquisite portraits in oil pastels.

Cindy’s grandmother, Fern Williams, Betty’s mother, was also an artist.  She was a muralist in the early days in Compton, California.  You can see the influences of these strong yet feminine women in Cindy’s work in her pensive studies of female figures.  You can also see this energy in her soft and balanced landscapes.  Cindy’s paintings have stillness, a vulnerable beauty to them that, for me, speak to feminine nature.

https://wallartbycindy.com/

Cindy has continually pursued her art over the past 20+ years and she says it brings her a joyful peacefulness, perhaps a Zen-like feeling.  Retiring from a long successful career in hospital administration with Kaiser, Cindy retired in 2005.  She found herself  “drunk with time and opportunity” and so she gracefully jumped into her paints full time.  With her medical background paints and the necessary solvents soon became a health concern for Cindy and she made the switch to water-based oils.  One tip she shares with artists is to use a metal trashcan with a lid for all paint discards to keep the smell at bay.  Another is to use Soil Love for brush cleaning and of course always have good ventilation in the studio.  Cindy’s concern and search for good ventilation led her to the great outdoors to paint, in plein aire.  With a new Strada easel and artist buddy Linda Volz, the two pack up the car and off they go to paint. As I mentioned, Cindy is a very organized and tidy painter, so preparing and packing her gear the night before is a given.  She organizes her paints and freezes the paint in a “paint garage” overnight. Then she chooses her favorite brushes and packs the easel along with her other tools.  The next morning they go to their predetermined spot to paint.  That predetermined spot has already been “shopped” as they like to say, because they went “shopping” previously for that perfect spot to paint.  

Cindy has even traveled to France on two occasions to paint in plein aire.  She’s always looking for the dramatic lighting she finds intriguing in a composition.  She also loves to add a little mystery to her work.  She pointed out the tip of a hidden gondola in her large Venice piece in the hallway and the slight touch of a finger on the lip in one of her portrait pieces.  Both of these simple details create that bit of mystery or intrigue Cindy loves to put in a painting.  She also loves to include hands in her paintings and enjoys the challenge in the different skin tones of her models. 

Cindy tells me she approaches her work like a puzzle, finding the “Z” in the composition, creating the point of interest and tactfully leading the viewer to that very point within the golden rectangle created in a good composition.  

Along with her many award ribbons, (she has over 25 to date), Cindy excitedly tells me of her very special personal art moment, it was “the best art day ever”.  That moment came in 2017 when she was awarded both 1st and 2nd prizes at the San Diego County Fair in the same category.  Quite an achievement! 

Cindy’s biggest influences (other than her mother and her grandmother) are the great art masters.  Now attending a unique on-line zoom class with the Palos Verdes Art Center she continues her pursuit as the class teaches the techniques of the grand masters of art.  The online studies, taught by RSFAG member Debbie Giese, takes artists through the masters’ works, teaching the use of shape, value, color and the beauty of that single signature brush stroke.

Of course I could not leave you without mentioning Cindy’s art hero, Sebastian Capella.  Capella was a native of Spain who moved to San Diego in the 60’s to teach fine art at the University of San Diego. He later taught privately for many years in his La Jolla studio.  Sebastian was an acclaimed master impressionist and portraitist who inspired many of our local artists.  A beautiful Capella hangs just outside Cindy and Robert’s kitchen.  You have to hear from Cindy how she found and obtained this very special painting – you will be impressed.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/obituaries/sdut-impressionist-sebastian-capella-dead-2013mar27-story.html

Cindy has been a Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild member for 15 years and has held just about every board position for the past 12 years.  Now board secretary, Cindy invites you to explore the Guild’s website, sign up for the free Newsletter and attend the upcoming art demos.  The 2022 lineup proves to be very exciting and educational.  We hope to see you all there because as Cindy says “Artists are the best people”.

This Months "Name the Artist" is Italian painter Giorgio Morandi -> WEBSITE