Cindy is an accomplished oil painter who began her artistic journey over 30 years ago in Montpellier, France. While studying abroad, she apprenticed under the self-taught French artist Richard Palomino, known by his artist name, Lilla Duva. There, she received classical training in a layering technique rooted in Old Master traditions, crafting paints, mediums, brushes, and preparing canvases as the masters did—a foundational experience that profoundly influenced her work. Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, Cindy is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. She has extensive experience teaching both private and group art classes, both en plein air and in the studio. She has organized multiple workshops for visiting artists, co-founded I'On Artists in Mt. Pleasant, and has played a key role in organizing numerous art shows and festivals. For nearly 13 years, Cindy owned a beautiful art gallery in Kingsport, TN, where she showcased a wide range of artists, primarily from the Tri-Cities area. Her contributions to the community were recognized with a YWCA Tribute to Women award and a KOSBE Small Business Award for Woman-Owned Business. One of her notable commissions is a 5'x7' painting titled "Hope," prominently displayed in the lobby of Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport. Cindy's work has evolved from a highly realistic style to a more impressionistic approach, though she continues to value classical training as a critical foundation. She believes in the importance of understanding drawing and the concepts of light, which she applies even in her more abstracted work. Her creative process now focuses on letting the painting develop organically, allowing the subject to define itself through spontaneous mark-making—a method she finds both fun and full of surprises. Recently, Cindy and her husband returned to Charleston, SC, where they first met and where their son was born. Now as empty-nesters, they are thrilled to be back in the Lowcountry, where the warm light and rich inspiration for painting abound. Cindy's work is featured in public and private collections in the U.S. and internationally. A passionate advocate for environmental preservation, she donates 10% of her sales to Ocean Cleanup, inspired by her love of diving and the underwater world.