Cynthia S. Padgett Born: Kansas City, MO 1948

Education: Goucher College, B.A. Fine Arts, 1972

Johns Hopkins University, Master of Liberal Arts, 1983

(History of Ideas Seminars)

Leaving Kansas City for Baltimore, the artist began her studies as a musician, training with faculty at The Peabody and Goucher. As her hearing began to deteriorate and music became difficult to pursue, she focused her creative passion on art. She studied with Lincoln Johnson and Hilton Brown at Goucher College. Their influence can be seen in the vibrant colors and modern scale of the artist's works. Some of the lyrical qualities clearly stem from her musical background and familiarity with art history. She has experimented with photographic perspectives, handmade papers, pastels, oils and various media and continues to explore new materials and techniques to arrive at her interpretative imagery. Although her work is about capturing moments in time, she also captures timeless, universal themes, bringing the viewer into the work. It is as if the viewer is a participant, floating through the petals, tasting the fruit or traveling through deep space on a personal journey. Studies at Hopkins included many courses with Phoebe Stanton which added another perspective to her work as did her time studying art history at the Walters Art Museum. Greek mythology is loosely referenced often in the pieces and allows each person to bring their own experiences to bear as they view the works. The portraits are a labor of love and each one is carefully planned to incorporate each person's view of himself and to have a quality that is unique. "My work is meant to uplift, to bring joy to the person viewing it. When I come down to breakfast, I want to see vibrant color, beauty, warmth, maybe connect to that moment. People who are looking for that same feeling are drawn to my work. For me, art is a refuge and an inspiration."

She has had 5 One Woman Shows in NYC, shown in Washington, Ghent, Tokyo and Yokohama, Geneva, and Paris. Her studio is located in the newly renovated Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower, 21 S. Eutaw St., Baltimore, MD 21201.