Featured Interview of Artisan of Handmade Items: Cindy Adkins

Based in New Orleans, Cindy Adkins is a gallery artist who specializes in mixed media work. She has a particular fondness for working with textures, such as embroidery, fibers, vintage images, layered paper, or soy silk. She takes inspiration from what some may consider the everyday humdrum, making the mundane into something exciting. She is currently the featured artist for "Creating Vintage Charm" magazine for their Spring 2011 issue.

Here are some of her current creations:

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Her bio: Adkins is a published artist who holds a Master’s Degree in Humanities. She feels that her background in this field gives her a broader outlook that she brings to her own work. “Often, those aspects of classic and modern art, music, and literature are encapsulated in various pieces and it is always with a touch of whimsy.”

Following Hurricane Katrina, Adkins gained attention for her 6-month project that is a tribute to the people of the New Orleans area who have gone through the recovery process. “The survivors have risen from the ashes and I wanted to make individual pieces to honor their resilience and celebrate the human spirit. Displayed publicly, it is my gift to the community to help in the healing process.” Now, Adkins’ carefully handcrafted as well as digital art is available to people everywhere.

“Through my art, I create pieces that I want people to look at time and again, in each instance, noticing something new. That is the joy of creating as each piece contains a message. I always say that the art process is like giving birth--there is a part of me in each one.”

I really enjoy having my Whimsical Musings blog because it allows me to meet people from all over the world. I think that we all encourage each other and that is a wonderful experience.

And now to the interview. :)

How long have you had an interest in vintage, mixed media, etc.?
Shortly following Hurricane Katrina, I got married and moved to New Orleans. My husband and I renovated a home that had been under 10 feet of water. It was a 9-month process. During that time, I also completed my Master’s degree. Following that, I decided to create art for various government and private entities throughout my parish (county.) These pieces were created to celebrate the human spirit.

What followed were 2 one-woman exhibitions featuring my work and now those pieces are at different permanent locations throughout the area.

How did you get started? Did you start by experimenting around, or did you take a class and go from there?
I have been creative my whole life. I never took any classes to create art. It all started with the Katrina project and it went from there.

Are there any particular mediums you like working with?
I love working with fabric, paper, soy silk, fibers, and with found objects.

Is there anything you eventually want to get in to and master?
If I did anything in the future, I guess it would be stained glass because I have a large stained glass collection.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Hmmm, I don’t have any spare time! So, I guess that in my spare time, I create art!

What's a question you wish I would've asked? (And please answer that question).
I wish you would have asked why art is important to me. But, I also wonder what my answer would be because it seems that once someone starts, new ideas are born and it is an on-going process. One idea gives birth to another one.

What are ten fun facts about you?
1. I have a precious Maltese named Jamie and an adorable tuxedo cat named Stella.

2. I love music and wrote my Master’s thesis about the life and music of Billie Holiday.

3. I used to own a children’s music label and my first album was made into a kareoke program for Tandy Corporation (Radio Shack) for a new computer that had come out at the time.

4. I was a voting member of the Grammy Awards.

5. A few years ago, I went to a party at the White House for the 4th of July.

6. The first year I was in New Orleans, my husband and I were on a float for the Mardi Gras parade.

7. Years ago, I sang “Amazing Grace” with Willie Nelson on the radio. It was a dream come true!

8. I love to dance every kind of dancing, including country and salsa.

9. If anyone knows me well, they know that spirituality is the most important thing to me.

10. When I was in California, I was an ESL teacher, loved it, and worked with people from all over the world. It was an amazing experience.

Please list your website, blog, and/or Etsy shop urls.
Whimsical Musings
Her Whimsical Musings Etsy Shop