Artist Profile: Cynthia St. Charles

Cynthia St. Charles

Billings, Montana

www.cynthiastcharles.com

1. How do you describe yourself?  I tell people I am an artist

 

2. What is your creative process?   I work in layers,  A base layer - often collaged fabric or paper, overlaid with layers of block printing or screen printing.  

3. Describe your studio space.  I am blessed to have a large studio in my home with a 5 x 15 foot design and sewing table. It is quite messy.   I have another studio in a commercial office building I own and manage.  I try to keep the one in town neat and tidy "for show", and because it has dual purpose as my office.  Both spaces include attached wet studio spaces.

4. What's your signature style? How long did it take you to find your style when you first started making art quilts?  My signature style involves surface design, especially printing and collaging.  I have worked in this style for about 7 years.  It took me about  5 years of experimentation to find my style.

 

5. Are there artistic endeavors you are yet to do?  I am working quite a bit in paper based mixed media collage, currently.  This has been a labor of love as I try to find my expressive voice in this new medium.  Really, mixed media with has taken over my time for art to the detriment of working with fabric.  I hope the two come together at some point.

 

6. Do you keep a sketchbook and/or journal?  For six years, I posted daily to my blog "Living and Dyeing Under the Big Sky" and I felt that this was my journal, during that time.  I do keep my design ideas and notes in various sketchbooks.  In the winter, I write and do art every day.  In summer, I am busy with outdoor activities - gardening, hiking and camping.  I rarely do any art in the summer (unless I have a deadline).

 

7. Being published is important to artists, so do you have any instructional dvd's, author of books, YouTube channel, have a website with other artists for collaborative projects?  I do have a DVD with Interweave Press - it was created in 2012, but is still available for sale.

 

8. Do you teach?  I am a retired teacher / School Psychologist.  I have done a few local classes, but I am not traveling to teach because I find I resent the time it takes away from my studio and outdoor time.

 

9. Having your work in juried, invitationals, and solo shows is a great way to get your name out there. Where can people see your work? I have quite a few pieces traveling with SAQA Exhibitions:  Celebrating Silver - 8th Asia Quilt Festival in Shanghai, China, September 23 - 25, 2016, then on to Australia  Earth Stories - Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV June 25, 2016 through October 2, 2016 and Erie Museum of Art, Erie, PA January 20, 2017 through June 11, 2017   Food for Thought -Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum in Temple, Texas - January 31, 2017 through April 1, 2017, Radical Elements - International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS), McAllen, TX - September 24, 2016 through January 8, 2017.  Concrete and Grasslands - is available for travel, and I am exhibition coordinator for Balancing Act

 

10. How many years have you had your work in d@8 exhibits, or is this your first time?  I have shown with Dinner@8 since the second year.  It is always such an honor.