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The warm, translucent passages Cindy Briggs paints represent more than just watercolors of European scenes. “I think they represent a journey from one part of my life to another,” said the Bend artist. “Passages are to another place, (always moving forward and appreciating where you’ve been)”. Briggs, who moved to Bend nearly four years ago, began working on the nine images in the series as her two school-age children became more independent. But there’s more to the artist than cobbled streets, brick buildings and cracked windows. “My images have been described as ethereal, sunlit. I look for dramatic composition and a unique perspective. I do a lot of tall narrow paintings,” Briggs, 44, said. “I really look for something that catches my eye...I have to feel inspired by my subject.” The Colorado native remembers always being in art classes, but it was watching an aunt (Ellie Weakley) paint her teenage portrait that made Briggs fall for watercolors. She was awarded an arts scholarship to Brigham Young University, but quickly discovered she needed to study something that would pay the bills. After earning a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and a minor in art history, Briggs started working in advertising. The job took her to Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. She worked on accounts like Levi Strauss, Adobe, Xerox, Universal Studios and Sunkist. “I had a great career, but I knew before I met my husband that I wanted to paint,” said Briggs, who has been married to Vaughan Briggs for 21 years. When her daughter started third grade in 1997 Briggs quit her job and called her aunt. “I said, ‘I want to paint now,’ and Ellie Weakly told me to come to a workshop in Carmel,” she said. Her aunt told Briggs that she had to be in a show the following summer. Five women from Briggs’ family participated and have done four shows together. The group is gathering in Colorado this week to paint together. Briggs has taken numerous workshops to expand her knowledge. She started teaching art classes to children when her son started kindergarten in Seattle and there wasn’t an art program. It was in Seattle that she got involved with “Reflections,” a national arts program for students, and she is now the chair of the group for the Central Oregon region. “I love working with kids. They do amazing things. They’re so fearless. Adults are too, if you can get them to relax,” said Briggs, who began teaching adults four years ago. “Sometimes I teach the adults the same lessons as the kids. The concepts are the same, no matter how old you are.” She teaches both adult and children’s art classes from her Bend studio, with single drop-in classes accepted. Last fall, she taught a two-week workshop in Provence with her best friend, Theresa Goesling. Pieces from that workshop, “Palettes of Provence,” will be exhibited in April and May at the Sage Café, beginning with an open house on the afternoon of April 16, . The two are planning a similar workshop in Tuscany in June 2006. Though Briggs teaches others she doesn’t miss an opportunity to paint. Watercolor is her medium of choice, but she also works in oils and pastels. Her home studio, with breathtaking views of the Cascades, is where Briggs spends much of her time. When the family built the home a little more than two years ago, Vaughan Briggs said there was no question his wife would have a studio. “I’ve painted in the kitchen, in the corner of the bedroom, wherever I could find a space. We worked really hard to get here. Artists (need their own space) they shouldn’t have to be neat,” said Briggs, who is often working on several paintings at a time. The artist (paints on location and) takes lots of photographs and pieces together elements of different places to form some of her paintings. When she does portraits, she often has two copies going at a time. She will experiment on one before painting on the other—and said the practice piece often turns out better. From the time Briggs moved to Bend, she started volunteering with and joining organizations around town. She joined Arts Central and started the annual juried watercolor and pastel show. (She’s very involved with the High Desert Art League) and does public relations for other artists in town and writes a regular column for the Northwest Watercolor Society and Watercolor Society of Oregon newsletters. She is represented by The Collection Gallery in Bend and will be part of the “Tour of Italy” show in April. As she keeps herself busy, Briggs likes to reflect on her growth as an artist. “As you mature and your eye develops, you realize how much you missed the first time,” she said. “It keeps things new and fresh.” Briggs’ work can be seen at The Collection Gallery, 150 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend, or at www.cindybriggs.com
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In The News |
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Teaching workshops, writing a manual, showing in galleries, volunteering, chairing shows and pursuing careers -- two NWWS members are finding ways to share the experience. Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling found out how well they worked as a team when they started volunteering for the Northwest Watercolor Society - first as greeters, then as co-chairs for the Waterworks Members Show. “We learned about the process of organizing a juried show and workshop, how to work with a juror and how the juror selects entries and awards for a show,” mentioned the artists. Both found that volunteering expanded their network and provided new opportunities. Cindy and Theresa have had parallel careers. Both were awarded their degrees in Art, then pursued professional careers as art directors for 14 years. Cindy worked in advertising, creating ads for clients like Levi Strauss and Universal Studios, and Theresa designing catalogues for retail giants, Eddie Bauer and Charles A. Stevens, Chicago. About six years ago, they signed up for watercolor classes and have been painting ever since. Now, even though Cindy lives in Bend, Oregon and the Theresa in Bellevue, Washington they continue to encourage each other, communicating electronically and getting together whenever possible. Cindy’s move from Seattle to Bend almost four years ago hasn’t slowed down the partnership—in fact they recently co-taught a Magic Palette Watercolor Workshop in Provence. Combining efforts, they co-wrote a manual to be introduced at their workshop. The manual covers everything from contour line drawing, perspective, simple stroke figures, simplified value sketches and paintings to creating colorful darks and gradient washes, dramatic sunlit walls, reflections and captured patterns of light. Theresa commented, “We wanted to provide a thorough reference guide to answer many questions that come up while painting on location.” “I loved Cindy’s and Theresa’s efforts and thorough preparation—their lesson booklet is wonderful: their openness to teaching, as well as clear grasp of their medium are both strong characteristics of their dedication and skill levels.” Phyllis Nelson “Gorgeous locations with instructors that give demonstrations on how best to paint beautiful scenes, and positive personal tutoring on getting the best results...very professional and helpful.” Monroe Paxman “You guys are excellent team teachers with a well planned, progressive learning experience.” Don Yockey While Theresa and Cindy have developed their style independently, their work is both complimentary and a study in contrasts. Cindy’s watercolors are ethereal, stylized and sunlit, and Theresa’s comparatively are like oils, extremely vibrant and expressive. Utilizing their work experience in their artistic careers has also been beneficial. Design skills, advertising, computer graphics, marketing, writing and presentation are all essential tools in promoting an artist’s work. Both Cindy and Theresa are represented by Harrington Gallery in Cannon Beach, Cindy is also represented by The Collection Gallery in Bend, OR and Theresa is also represented by Dill and Spowze Gallery in Sun Valley, ID. Cindy currently teaches classes in her Bend, OR studio, Theresa in Bellevue, WA at The Studio. They continue to add lesson plans to their manual as they prepare for an upcoming 2006 watercolor workshop in Italy, again to be presented ‘side by side.’
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Northwest Watercolor Society January, 2005 Newsletter Article Side by Side—Cindy Briggs and Theresa Goesling |
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A Well Developed Eye Cindy Briggs Talent Keeps Evolving
By Heidi Hiaasen The Bulletin—GO Magazine Bend, Oregon, Friday, March 25, 2005 |
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Cindy Briggs Paints her way through life. - Heidi Hiaasen |
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“I loved Cindy’s and Theresa’s efforts and thorough preparation—their lesson booklet is wonderful: their openness to teaching, as well as clear grasp of their medium are both strong characteristics of their dedication and skill levels.” Phyllis Nelson |
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The Red Door Sold |
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Cindy Briggs Designs Phone: 541-420-9463 Email: cbriggsdesigns@yahoo.com
Copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved
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Strolling Through Roussillon |
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Welcome to LaCoste Watercolor 21.5 x 36 w/frame |
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Cindy Briggs Knows the Language of Art By Sondra Holtzman, A&E Editor Cascade Arts & Entertainment Magazine, Bend, Oregon Featured Cover Artist, July 2007
“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures…” Henry Ward Beecher.
A working artist for over 23 years, Cindy Briggs is part of intriguing creative legacy, hailing from a family of artists. Every since she was a teenager, Briggs’ Aunt Ellie Weakley has served as her mentor, along with her 93 year old grandmother who still shows her work (in Cindy’s home state of Colorado.)
“I’m always in anticipation of the next painting and my work has been described as ethereal, stylized realism,” says Briggs. “Painting and teaching energize me and are my passion. My aspiration is to simply keep improving, continuing to soak up experiences, new insights and techniques, and to share the joy of using artistic license.”
Briggs is one of those rare birds who can think with both sides of her brain. After receiving an art scholarship to Brigham Young University, she graduated with a degree in graphic design and worked in advertising as an art director for the next 15 years for a number of reputable agencies. After her children came along, Briggs pursued a career as a freelance designer, writer and public relation specialist, serving clients like Adobe, Levi Strauss, K2 Universal Studios, and Orion Pictures. She and her husband, Vaughan and their 2 children moved to Bend from (Seattle), lured by the small town atmosphere, proximity of family, recreational paradise and great arts community.
As president of the High Desert Art League, she leads a group of professional artists who show throughout the Northwest. Briggs has served as Chair of the annual Watercolor and Pastel Show with Arts Central and the Reflections Arts Program for the Bend-LaPine School District. She has served on the Board of the Northwest Watercolor Society and has earned her NWWS signature membership, having recently had a painting featured in the Spring issue of Watercolor Magazine in an article about the NWWS.
Briggs shares a passion for art with her best friend, Theresa Goesling of Bellevue, Washington. The two have co-authored a book called Make Every Day a Painting. The book covers everything from composition to mixing colors to improvisation and has proven to be an invaluable companion when painting on location or in the studio. “We both had similar careers before painting and have stayed on the same path in advertising, raising children and volunteering while focusing on our goals to paint,” Briggs reflects. “I asked Theresa to take a class with me and we’ve been on the journey every since. Now we teach independently and together in our European workshops and in our communities.” This month, the two artists will teach a Magic Palette Workshop in Tuscany, Italy which promises to be an experience of a lifetime. “I’ve been to workshops that are like boot camp,” Briggs shares. “You set up and paint but don’t really experience the location. In our workshops, we design our days so there is time to both paint and play. We’ll visit towns like San Gimignano, Pienza, Orvieto, Assisi and the sunny beaches of the Tuscan coast while feasting on gourmet meals.”
Magic Palette Workshops are open to all levels of experience and serve as a retreat where students are invited to develop their own artistic style while enriching the spiritual and playful sides of the soul. Having recently completed two tours of Tuscany with Gina’s Italy, Briggs is planning future trips to the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre in Italy along with a cruise to Greece.
An artist whose first love is painting in watercolor, the title that graces the cover is On the Road to Pienza. Located in the town of Pienza in the very heart of Tuscany, the house (which is actually quite famous) sits behind a field of poppies. Here is where the artist skillfully applies artistic license; the field of poppies is located somewhere near the house, so she blended the two scenes, resulting in a painting that is a delight to encounter. “People ask me if I paint from photos,” Briggs shares. “I only use them as reference as virtually all of my paintings are blended.” While on location, she creates a myriad of small paintings in her sketchbooks, returning to her studio to create larger works of art.
Aside from being a master watercolorist, Briggs enjoys working in oil and pastel and always appreciates a new challenge. “The failures along with the successes are all beneficial and each step of the journey is worth the challenge,” she says. “I’m invigorated by my students’ successes—it’s incredibly rewarding to see them find their way to their own style. Teaching is my way of passing it on.”
“Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and color, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day.” Winston Churchill
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