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Artist Exhibitions:
Artexpo New York 2007, Jacob
Javits Convention Center,
Art-Exchange booth, March 1-5,
2007
Watercolor '04: An exhibition
of traditional and
contemporary water-based
mediums on different surfaces,
Norris Gallery, Dellora A.
Norris Cultural Arts Center,
St. Charles, IL, February
28-April 10, 2004
Photo Art '04, Norris Gallery,
...
Further Information
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Artist Galleries:
Art-Exchange:
http://www.art-exchange.com/sea
rch_result.aspx?Ltr=A&ArtistId=
68140
AbsoluteArts.com:
http://www.absolutearts.com/por
tfolios/c/cindyalexander/
Chicago Artists' Coalition:
http://caconline.org/gallery.as
p?artist=cindyalexander...
Further Information
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Artist Reviews:
Coming Soon!
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Collections:
N. Eugene Tester, Elgin,
Illinois, USA
Michael and Frances Liang, St.
Charles, Illinois, USA
Christopher Onken, Victoria,
BC, CANADA
Anna Vance, Huntley, Illinois,
USA
Becky Douglas, Philadelphia,
USA
Josie V. Castro, Illinois,
USA...
Further Information
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Commissions:
Michael and Frances Liang,
Illinois, USA
Josie V. Castro, Illinois,
USA...
Further Information
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Artist Statement for Cindy Egoroff Alexander
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At the Grand Canyon, my sons thought it amusing that I seemed as interested in the plant life as in the spectacular canyon. Let me clarify. The Grand Canyon is breathtaking. It was just that everywhere I turned there was something interesting to see closeby, as well. Twisted, tortured tree branches surviving in a harsh climate, variations in texture and color of particular plant combinations, lizards sitting on rocks, glimpses of the canyon through leaves, tall and flowering plants. Some of those plant juxtapositions would make excellent subject matter for paintings. My camera clicked away.
I suspect this is typical for artists. As I drive down the road, I notice the way shadows fall across the pavement; the way a particular tree's branches twist and create an unusual negative space between them; interesting color combinations -beautifully subtle or spectacularly bold. I notice the whimsical antics of children waiting for the school bus, and how the lowering sun reveals a house's silhouette in dramatic, eerie shadow. We train ourselves to really look, to carefully see. And then we mix together what we've learned in pieces of art, hopefully helping others to discover something of their own. The artist does it visually, the musician paints in music, the writer draws with words, the playwright sculpts situations, the dancer describes with body movements, and often all these artists overlap media; combining, shaping, playing, creating. They hope to share what they perceive.
For all my sons' teasing, they were noticing plenty of things, too. Nick brought home some excellent footage of birds squabbling on a fence and soaring through the sky. Jon snapped some wonderful pictures of plant groupings and pointed out others for me to capture. They were both looking, and that's what the artist needs to do.
Watercolor has been my main medium for several years. There's so much you can do with it. Colored pencils, acrylics, oils, lithography, intaglio printing and photography are other media I have explored in the past. Having just bought all new oil paints, I hope to try my hand at those again one day soon. The itch to do some colored pencil on colored paper is there, too. Some of the artists in the Nature Artists' Guild at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL, are doing some incredible drawings with colored pencil. Very inspiring!
Digital photography is an interesting medium. This fall, I captured the world of some spectacular critters. I was able to follow some of the life cycle of a particularly exquisite spider. This black-and-yellow Argiope had only seven legs. Looking closely at some grasshoppers with an in-your-face style photography, I found they have beautiful markings. Both the spider and one of the grasshoppers now appear in watercolor.
As far as influences on my artwork, there are many. My major in college was studio art, but we studied art history, too. It was interesting to learn what artists did during different time periods and in different parts of the world. In order to truly understand many types of art, it helps to know what was going on at the time and to which influences the artists were reacting. What were the current art styles? Was the artist embracing those or going off in another direction, maybe in reaction to the current thinking? From prehistoric art to the current time period, I learned to at least try to understand what the artist was doing, whether I liked it or not. Always bits and pieces stick as your own style develops. I like to try different things, explore a variety of subject matter. Talking with other artists, reading various art magazines and technique books, viewing art exhibits, and experimenting all add to one's approach to and appreciation for art.
My formal training in art includes a BFA from Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL; a variety of botanical art classes (using watercolor, graphite pencils and colored pencils) from The Morton Arboretum's excellent offerings in Lisle, IL; black-and-white photography classes from the late John Grady's photography program at Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL; a children's book illustration workshop through the School of The Art Institute of Chicago; and on-the-job cartooning and illustration work in the art department of Arthur Andersen & Co. at their training center in St. Charles, IL (1981-1985).
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