Cindy Miller Atchison Design | Art
www.cindyatchison.com
ArtRoom Collective Studio #17
We asked Cindy about her art, creative process, inspirations, and what else fills her time when she isn't creating art.
What kind of art do you create?
Graphic, stylistic southwestern landscapes.
I loved when someone coined my style “nouveau Impressionism.”
Can you share your journey as an artist? What inspired you to pursue this path?
I was a graphic design major and fine arts minor at the University of Cincinnati. I loved the essence of graphic design’s creative problem-solving and refinement process. After being a professional graphic designer for 30 years and just dabbling in painting, I wanted more art in my life! A month after my twin boys left for college, the Smiley Building ArtRoom opened. I have dedicated time to painting part-time and have loved every minute of it. I capture the feeling of being in nature when you sigh after a great hike/bike/paddleboard and say, “Wasn’t that awesome?! I should do this EVERY DAY!”
Where did you grow up?
Findlay, Ohio, a small town in Northwest Ohio
What inspires you?
So many impressionist painters inspire me. Their ability to capture light, mood, and gesture with a few brushstrokes has always inspired me. I love seeing paintings in nature everywhere I go... I've learned it's a gift to see the world through an artist's eyes.
How long have you been producing art?
I was always the class artist growing up. I loved winning the coloring contests as a kid (I was fiercely competitive about those contests!) and pursued realistic drawing in middle and high school. I started plein air and small food oil paintings 10 years ago and fell in love with creating large stylistic landscapes about four years ago.
What do you enjoy doing outside of creating art?
I love taking in the beauty of nature while hiking, skiing, biking, and paddle boarding. My husband and I fell in love in the kitchen and garden, and those are still favorite places to cook, love, and grow.
Can you share any upcoming projects or exhibitions we should look out for?
I co-host the Durango Open Studio Tour with ArtRoom friend Heather Freeman, which will take place from October 17 to 19 this year. We’re starting to plan already! I love providing a venue for emerging and professional artists to share their creative spaces, and inspire others to appreciate and create themselves!
When is your favorite time of day to create and why?
I love taking a bike ride to the ArtRoom in the afternoon after a morning of graphic design. It’s a good day when I have a few hours to paint before biking back home for dinner with my husband.
Most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life?
In 1990, I bungee jumped while interning in San Francisco as a graphic design student -- it seemed like a logical thing to do in San Francisco in the '90s! Good, thrilling fun!!
Favorite piece you've created?
I don't have a single favorite piece, but I love the painting "A Shared Joy," inspired by an incredible cloudscape I experienced with others last summer. As I biked over the pedestrian bridge near the high school, I stopped with four strangers standing in silence on the bridge together, all of us grinning with mouths agape at the beautiful scene reflected in the Animas River. I love connecting with people through a shared appreciation for our stunning southwest environment.
What's something not many people know about you?
The first time I had a boba tea ~20 years ago, I was SO grossed out by the unexpected, gooey boba bubbles... I thought I had swallowed a bug! Smiley Cafe's delicious boba teas have turned around that experience in the best way. I'm a fan now!
Additionally, I serve as a Stephen Minister at Summit Church, a caregiving ministry that offers one-on-one emotional support to individuals facing life challenges. It's gratifying, and I've learned a great deal about myself through helping others over the last five years.
What are you selling in your studio right now?
I sell original paintings and figure drawings. I also offer prints, notecards, and spiral notebooks of some of my favorites. I'm also offering one-on-one painting classes to those interested in learning the elements of creating more convincing landscape paintings.