The Joy of Painting: Television's Gateway to Learning for the Self-taught Artist

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I had great fun writing this short history for Art & Object about art instruction on TV. I was able to revisit my own experience learning to draw as a young child with Jon Gnagy on my parent's b&w 1950s television. 

https://www.artandobject.com/articles/joy-painting-televisions-gateway-learning-self-taught-artist

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Here Comes Trouble

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My essay, Here Comes Trouble has just been published by DeepOverstock Press in their Romance themed anthology. It is the 21st book of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction in this ongoing series of literature in various themes. I’m reading my essay on their podcast on Spotify and Apple. Click on the link below or copy/paste it in your browser.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-overstock-fiction-podcast/id1526944685

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Visiting Historic Artists Homes and Studios

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This is my first article working with a new editor, published today in the Observer. The wording in the opening paragraph was extensively simplified, which I'm not really happy with. In some sections I also submitted more apropos photos which they did not use. But, when you are getting paid, you give the client what they want. My other publishers focus on the arts where the Observer is a general interest, newsy, publication.
https://observer.com/2023/06/six-american-artists-homes-to-visit-this-summer/

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Public Art: Cultural Battlegrounds or Opportunities for Understanding

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The situations surrounding the creation of public monuments and events following their installation offer a microcosm of the culture and time that created them. My article today in Art & Object explores some of that history.

https://www.artandobject.com/articles/public-art-cultural-battlegrounds-or-opportunities-understanding

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

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Art & Object just republished my piece about animals as subject matter through art history, that included my review of the 2020 Shelburne Museum exhibition, Creature Comfort, Animals in the Home.

https://www.artandobject.com/news/creature-comfort-animal-art-home

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Music to this Writer's Ears

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This acceptance in my Submittable inbox is the kind of message that starts the day with a smile:

Dear Cynthia,

Thank you for sending us "Battles With Birth Control". We would like to accept this piece and publish it in the upcoming summer/fall 2023 issue of Wordpeace, if it is still available. Please let us know. Thank you for entrusting us with your work!

Thanks again. 

Sincerely,

Monica Barron, Nonfiction Editor

Lee Desrosiers, Founding Editor/ Publisher

Wordpeace.co

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Who Speaks for the Yanomami?

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I was able to bring my twenty years of experience working with ethnographic filmmakers when I was the executive director/president of Documentary Educational Resources (D.E.R.) into the writing of this review for Art & Object of The Yanomami Struggle, an exhibition at the Shed in NYC.

https://www.artandobject.com/articles/who-speaks-yanomami-ongoing-yanomami-struggle-told-through-art

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

The First Homosexuals

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It was a pleasure Interviewing curator, art historian Jonathan Katz for this article on his most recent venture, an exhibition in Chicago titled The First Homosexuals. Read my review published this week in Art & Object:

https://www.artandobject.com/news/queer-art-takes-center-stage-first-homosexuals

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

The History and Practice of Batik

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I associated batik with the 1970s along with tie-dye and macrame. Exploring its history for an article published today on the Artist's Network led me to the amazing work of Beth and Jonathan Evans, two masters of the medium.

https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-mediums/the-history-and-continuing-practice-of-batik/

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Public Art on University Campuses

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How universities integrate public art on their campus provides clues to their mission and approach to education. Potential students and parents should take note when considering where they will spend considerable amounts of money the next 4 years or more. MITs ongoing commitment to art was enlightening.

My article on the topic was published today in Art & Object.

https://www.artandobject.com/articles/public-arts-major-role-university-campus

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Ten Women Artists Who Found Inspiration

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In an article I wrote for Artist's Mag in 2020 ten female artists revealed who provided them with inspiration among the pantheon of women artists. Some were familiar. Others, not so much. The Artist's Network republished that article today, for International Women’s Day, honoring all women involved in creative pursuits.

https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-inspiration/women-celebrating-women/

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Bisa Butler, the art world's rising star

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Artist's Magazine originally published my article on the art-world's rising star, Bisa Butler, in 2020 in their print edition. It is now available online at the Artist's Network. 

https://www.artistsnetwork.com/magazine/quilt-by-bisa-butler-acquired-by-the-museum-of-fine-arts-boston/

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Presidential Portraits, A Brief History

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My article on the history of presidential portraits for the print version of Artist's Magazine has now appeared on their digital Artist's Network. I learned a lot about the process of commissioning these important works in my research for this article.
https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-history/americas-presidents/?oly_enc_id=8020G9659290B1C

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

The Why, How, and Where of Sculpture Parks

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Sculpture Parks offer a truly immersive art experience and I discovered some great ones in writing this article published today in Art & Object.

https://www.artandobject.com/articles/why-how-and-where-sculpture-parks

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Gauguin's Christmas Surprise

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Gauguin is not the first artist I think of when it comes to Christmas themed artwork. When I discovered this painting, I had to write about it for the Artist's Network.

https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-history/paul-gauguins-christmas-nig

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

The Unifying Figure of the Archangel Gabriel

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I was surprised to find the archangel Gabriel appearing in art and literature across centuries and in many unexpected places in diverse cultures. He is a unifying figure in a very disjointed world. I loved writing about him for the Artist's Network. https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-history/the-archangel-gabriel-a-unifying-figure-across-centuries/

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Winter Solstice

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Today, Wednesday December 21st marks the winter solstice. This painting of a snow-laden lone pine seemed like a perfect symbol for such a moment. I wrote about it for the Artist's Network. https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-history/winter-solstice-in-the-wild-north/

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

The Inspiration of The Nutcracker

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Taking my granddaughters to the Boston Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker was a holiday tradition. Now my youngest is a ballet dancer who is on stage rather than in the audience. The story of the Nutcracker has also inspired some wonderful illustrators. I wrote about one of them recently for the Artist's Network: https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-history/the-nutcracker-ballet/

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

A Creative Way to Celebrate Kwanzaa

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Here's a little blurb I wrote for the Artist's Network online newsletter about a great way to celebrate Kwanzaa. It starts this year on December 26th.

https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-history/the-national-museum-of-african-american-history-and-culture-in-washington-d-c/

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.

Fra Angelico's role in creating the story of Saint Nicholas

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I wrote this short story for The Artist's Network about early Renaissance artist Fra Angelico's depictions of Saint Nicholas. His frescoes laid the groundwork for the Saint's evolution to the jolly old St. Nick we have come to know today.

https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-history/fra-angelico-and-the-story-of-st-nicholas/?utm_campaign=Artists%20Network%20-%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=236720829&utm_source=hs_email

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Cynthia Close

Armed with an MFA from Boston University Cynthia plowed her way through several productive careers in the arts including instructor in drawing and painting, Dean of Admissions at The Art Institute of Boston, founder of ARTWORKS Consulting, and president of Documentary Educational Resources - a nonprofit film distribution company. She now claims to be a writer.

In addition…
To support this claim, she is a contributing editor for Documentary Magazine and writes regularly about art, cinema, and culture for, Artist’s Magazine, Art & Object, Pastel Magazine, Art New England, Vermont Woman, and formerly for Professional Artist Magazine. Her creative non-fiction appeared in the 2014, 2016, and 2017 anthology The Best of the Burlington Writers Workshop. Her essays have been published in various literary journals including 34th Parallel, Across the Margin, Adelaide, Agni, Bacopa Literary Review, The Black and White Anthology, Blood and Bourbon, The Brooklyn Film Arts nonfiction prize finalist, From Whispers to Roars, The Longridge Review, Montana Mouthful, Orson’s Review, The Seasons of Our Lives, Swallow Press, The Twisted Vine, Wagon Bridge Press, and The Woven Tales Press, among others. She has read publicly at many venues including the Cornelia Street Café in NYC. She was the inaugural art editor for the literary and art journal Mud Season Review launched in 2014.