Cynthia MacCollum

According to Connecticut painter and printmaker, Cynthia MacCollum, "I find inspiration in fragments of nature held close for reflection. I employ a personal vocabulary of fluid marks and organic imagery to express the sensual pleasure and ephemeral quality of the natural world. Within this realm, my work varies from representational to abstract, and I am continuously moving along the continuum between the two."

Recently I have reconnected to my love of painting and have been exploring ways to connect painting and printing processes. Moving from stencils of plants, to actual plants used as stencils, I am exploring the dialogue between Photography and Painting, despite the fact that I am not using a camera. There is also a seasonal aspect to this process; I am using found plant material, and the availability changes with the seasons. The temporal quality of the material, alluding to the passage of time, and the ephemeral nature of the material itself, all speaks to a place in me that craves more connection to the natural world....

The Cyanotypes are one of a kind works on paper, "It is an alternative form of photography but I don’t use any repeatable photographic elements. I paint the silhouette with liquid cyanotype chemicals. Then I expose it (when dry) with plants material on it." She also creates one of a kind rinsed print monoprints and mixed media works on paper.
 
Her work has been exhibited throughout the world since 2010. She received her BA from Washington University in St. Louis and continued her art education at Fashion Institute of Technology (NY), Santa Reparata International School of Art (Florence, Italy) and Center for Contemporary Printmaking (Norwalk, CT) and recent residencies at Skopelos Foundation for the Arts in Greece. Her studio is located in New Canaan, CT.

Submitted by Elisa Contemporary