I recently spent a day in the studio of a good friend and fellow artist, Cynthia Dupps, (Cee-Cee). We were photographing some of her jewelry for submission to a magazine, and in between shots, she offered insight to her creative process.
Cynthia’s artwork could be described as whimsical, lighthearted, with tongue in cheek humor. As a mixed media artist, she uses varied elements, which on their own are incomplete or without meaning. But when seen together make a unified whole. She tells a story through each piece.
The humorous aspects of her work are not coincidental. Cynthia says she grew up on cartoons like Felix the Cat, Deputy Dog and The Jetsons. As an adult, she can often be found watching Cartoon Network. Cynthia says she married a living cartoon character, and together, they have crafted a life of fun and childlike exploration.
Cynthia’s artwork is not limited to objects she makes. She lives an artful life. Nestled in the northwest Arkansas, Cynthia’s studio is just steps from her front door. A 100-year-old Ozark cabin had been disassembled and was headed to salvage for its parts when Cynthia’s love for the old took over. She and husband, Kirk, bought the parts and had the cabin rebuilt, adding a third room and indoor plumbing to an original two room cabin. She also had the roofline raised, which has given her a large open expanse of space in the main studio.
Cynthia says of her work, “Most of it is not functional. The only function is simply to feed my soul while creating. I use found objects, often old things. I don’t think of repurposing them, but more of giving them a re-birth. I surround myself with comfortable clutter. But I also love organization, which my mother taught me.”
Her mother has been a big influence on her self identity as an artist. “My mom sent me to every free art class for which she could find transportation to get me there. She used to say about me, ‘Cynthia can carry color, she can carry color.’ “ Cynthia recalled a time in the car with her mother, driving past the public swimming pool brimming with bobbing heads. She said, “Momma, that looks like a giant cookie with icing and sprinkles on top.” Her mother nurtured this kind of creative thinking within Cynthia.
Cynthia passes on this nurturing of creativity to her own grand-daughter, who had her first art show at age 5. Cynthia guided her through the process of sending invitations, planning her menu and planning how many pieces to make and how to price the artwork. Wouldn’t we all like that kind of mentoring?
Cynthia attended the Louisville School of Art, later affiliated with the
University of Louisville, Kentucky. She attended college on full scholarship as a craft major and then changed her major to illustration in her last year. Her studies exposed her to different mediums, metalsmithing, pottery, textiles, printing and painting. She continues to learn about new interests. One of her favorite recent classes was
Bookbinding by Dolph Smith at ESSA.
Her goals for the coming year are:
1. To have her work published in a national magazine.
2. To participate in the upcoming Love Show and
White Street Walk in Eureka Springs (her 14th consecutive year).
3. To take ESSA’s master metalsmithing class this spring taught by Bob Ebendorf.
4. And she is planning her annual Fall show, by invitation only at her charming studio.
Cynthia instills her own belief in others, as we finish the day, she concludes, “Life and Art are a gift to be enjoyed.”
