Bead Arts

Cindy is an extraordinarily versatile mixed media artist. For this profile, the pictures of her work concentrate on her jewelry, but there is much much more to see on her blog! Grab youself a cuppa, and enjoy a visit.

Artists Name: Cynthia Powell
Location: Sandy, Utah
Blog Address: Cynthia Powell

Cindy, how would you describe your work? Not just your jewelry, but all your work.
I love to play around with all types of mediums in my art, so I would have to say it is diversified. No two pieces are ever the same.

What is your creative process like when you’re juggling so many different techniques and media?
Once an idea is sparked, I will create the project in its entirety, in my mind. Occasionally I will draw a specific design to be incorporated into a project, but not often. I keep dozens of journals for jotting down my ideas, and construction plans, because if some particularly difficult aspect of the project can’t be worked out right then, I have my notes to visit again. This happens quite often when I am developing a new technique, or want a particular look, and keeping good notes allows me to incorporate new ideas with the old, as I am progressing with the project.

Since I retired (1998) from property management & real estate after 22 years, I have been able to devote 4-8 hours a day, to my art. The rush of ideas can be overwhelming at times, and so I usually have between 6 and 12 projects going on. I joke about the ideas floating around in my head, and say “if only I could take a picture of what I see there.” But then I wouldn’t experience the wonderful sense of accomplishment that finishing a piece gives me.


I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a few years of college art classes; free hand drawing, collage and graphic design. I am a realist, I draw what I see, and the classes helped me to develop an artist’s approach, to really see what I was looking at. Colors, shadows, dimension, etc. I find it very difficult to be abstract, and perhaps those classes hampered that aspect of my work, because I truly struggle with anything that is not in balance. I am mainly self-taught in the use of the various media that I work in. There are so many new materials available today that weren’t available years ago. So, experimenting with all of these new toys keeps me interested in a variety of things.



Would you tell us about your transitions between hobbyist and pro?
In the early days of my career, while still attending college, I was selling my class work to silk screen shops, to help pay for my art supplies. Later, I transitioned into acrylic painting and designed folk art painted crafts for the mass market. Unfortunately, it was a common occurrence back then to have your designs show up a year later, manufactured in a foreign country. This infringement forced me to take a new direction. I suppose I am one of the very few artists who transitioned from pro to hobbyist! For 12 years I expanded my talents by learning to master the aspects of; stained glass, tile mosaics, altered clothing, photography, canvas college, surface embellishments, beading, quilting, altered arts of all forms, and most recently assemblage. I have sold a few commissioned pieces of art over the past few years, but I don’t sell direct to the public anymore. Art has never been a job for me. I create as a form of relaxation and self-expression. I am a perfectionist who always strives for a professional quality and I am compulsive about art in all of its forms. I want it to the best it can be, based on my experiences, experiments and knowledge.

What are your biggest sources of inspiration?
Inspiration comes from the usual places, such as: conversations, movies, or a good book. But by keeping my eyes open to the world around me, inspiration can come from the simplest of things also. I never liked an informal weedy garden but now I find, I can really appreciate the disorganized array of color and bloom. Perhaps my art is again evolving!



What inspires you to continue when things get frustrating?
I have a mindset that will not allow me to give up. (It’s called: Compulsion!). I learn not only through my successes but especially through projects that don’t always work. I never have failures, only learning experiences.


What would you suggest for those who wish to take their your art to a higher level?
Educate yourself. Take classes, read books, study and analyze art. I can admire other artists’ art, and be inspired by what I see. For awhile I stopped analyzing art, because I thought if I didn’t allow other artists moods & methods to influence mine, I would develop my own style. I don’t think that’s true anymore. I am who I am and my art is what I am. We all bring with us different aspects of our lives into our art and that is what makes it unique from all others.



What else do you enjoy doing besides your artwork?
I could weed the garden, but mindless tasks like that, just encourage me to wander back to all of those projects waiting to be created. I love to study the ancient art of other cultures. I would have to say, this is another passion of mine, which carries a big influence on my art.


Cynthia has articles on altered couture in several issues of Belle Armoire Magazine!

handmade-beaded-jewelry, wearable-art, beads, beading, jewelry, mixed-media