By Page H. Gifford
Correspondent
Many will recognize the local Realtor Cydi Mylynne but what many may not know is that she is an accomplished artist. Mylynne has had her work featured in Harper’s Bazaar magazine and has worked with many private, corporate collections, and galleries. A prolific artist, she has done over 4,000 paper-making demonstrations.
Her stunning abstracts are made from textured paper and are characterized by vibrant color.
“I love working with paper. It is such a wonderful medium,” she said. Being a self-taught artist, she learned to do things other artists said couldn’t be done. “No one told me I couldn’t, so I have created works of art that are rich in texture and vigorous in abstract design.”
She says her goal is to allow the viewer to interpret and question its deeper meaning.
“Bold colors magically stimulate the eye and create a variety of emotions that can be felt when viewing the artwork up close as well as far away. As an artist, I want to raise questions in the viewers’ minds, not answer them.”
She has worked in numerous mediums throughout her life, from pencil, and pastels, to watercolors, pottery, wood, etchings, acrylics, and handmade paper. But Mylynne said that acrylics, combined with paper, by far is her favorite medium.
“I can create fantastic textures and amazing color combinations.” At times she uses acrylics in the same the way an artist would use watercolor. “Translucent colors over other translucent colors as our eyes can perceive those levels. It is not just a solid, opaque color that is on one flat level.”
She says she used to create still-life images until discovering the ability to create abstract art.
“Abstract art may seem simple to some but is much more difficult. The ability to place colors next to each other that create either harmony or discord in the viewers’ eyes is amazing,” she said. “I prefer to let the viewer perceive what they want to see from my work. I do not want to dictate what they see.”
One item that Mylynne said she had always wanted to create was lamps.
“I started collaborating with Tom Schimming in 2001. He creates the lamps using ambrosia maple, which is from Fluvanna County, and I do the shades.” The shades are unique and the lamps are a stunning combination of wood and paper artistry.
Recently on the Art Studio Tour, she said she has been doing art shows since 1978 and had not done anything in the Fluvanna area until the tour.
“The Fluvanna studio tour has been an excellent way for the public to see the fantastic artists in this county.”
