Cindy Roddey

Artist Statement

As long as I can remember, art has been apart of my life. On the wall and in our living space relics from exotic, far away places surrounded me as a child. As early as five years of age I participated in pastel drawing classes at the local county arts center.

Living in an environment permeated with extreme mental illness and constant uncertainty of where my “safe place” was. Drawing, painting, and creating served as my comfort companion. As a child and young adult, art seemed to provide me an escape from my realities during emotionally stressful times.

At Queens College I finally realized creating art did not have to come during sad times or for escape, but could actually become the “joy” of my everyday living. Never did I think Art would be my major focus of study in College, no did I realize I might one day have the opportunity to focus on my comfort companion fulltime.
My art may seem predictable or common place at times, however to look deeper in the colors and composition you see reflections of many emotions. Composition is most important, color and then content. The relationship of the positive and negative spaces, companionship of color mixing and the interaction of the medium in which I work, exhibits much more than an image on the canvas or paper.