ARTISANS

CINDY SULLIVAN, a native Californian known for her photo-realistic watercolor paintings had made up her mind at the age of seven to be an artist.  Early in the 1970's, she first learned to use gouache with artist Gordon Pond and began to win awards for her work.  While raising her family with her husband, she received her Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Long Beach.  After graduation, she continued college art instruction in oil painting, photography, illustration, and design. 

 

Cindy eventually settled with her family in Fremont, California and began her art career in earnest in 1985 while attending Ohlone College in Fremont, CA.  Under the guidance of Dennis Collins, whom she credits with having the biggest impact on her art, Cindy became a Photorealist.  Other important teachers in her career have been Dawn McLeod Heim, John Salminen, Jean Grastorf, Ted Nuttall and Alex Powers.

 

Cindy began to work for the City of Fremont, teaching an Art History program in the public schools and eventually she became the Art History Instructor for the entire student body at St. Joseph School at the Mission San Jose in Fremont.  

Cindy has exhibited in over 100 shows.  Her work has appeared twice in the Oakland Museum of California.  Also, her work has been juried into shows at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, the Society of Watercolor Artists in Texas, and the Western Colorado Watercolor Society in Colorado.  In 2002, she had her first one-woman show at Cal Poly, Pomona.  Accolades include a Juror's Merit Award given by Sondra Freckleton at the Triton Museum of Art's 1st Biennial Competition and Exhibition, the Glenwood Springs Art Guild Award in Colorado and numerous other awards. 

 

Cindy is a founding member of “Artists 7,” formed in 2000. Memberships include the California Watercolor Association where from 2005 through 2008 she served co-director of the California Watercolor Association Gallery Concord. She also has been a member of the Hayward Arts Council, A.R.T., Inc., Livermore Art Association, and Fremont Art Association where in 2002, she served as Gallery Director.  In 2002, she was a co-chairperson and helped to help establish Tri-City Open Studios in the Fremont and Newark area.  In 2019 she joined Artisans Etc. Gallery in Big Bear Lake, CA and now resides in Redlands, CA where she is again teaching watercolor and has been a guest presenter speaking on art and teaching.

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STATEMENT:

 

My enthusiasm for detail and love of realism are apparent in my work and I enjoy the challenge of making my work jump off the page and seem tangible.  One of my goals is to make the ordinary worthy of a second look.  I have a great love for nature, historical implements, photographs, buildings and all historical things in general.  Some of my portrait work is from old black and white photos or images of my friends and family.  Currently, by combining realism and abstraction, I have been in search of clearly defining my personal content through experimentation with watercolor and several different mixed media.  This mode truly tests my ability and helps me discover an awareness of the importance of expressing “self.”