Cindy Grossman
Artist • Taos • New Mexico •
Cindy Grossman is a professional pastel artist based in Taos, New Mexico. With a Master of Music in Vocal Performance, from the University of New Mexico, Cindy only “uncovered” the visual artist in herself, in 2012. Since then, it’s been a torrent of nearly non-stop, creative energy, with an amazing outcome of work. Working mostly in her studio in Taos, and almost entirely from her own photographs (except where noted), Cindy joyously creates her artwork. As Ms. Grossman has said, “this work pulls me in and along, almost as if I was secondary to what needs to be put onto the paper. It’s a timeless, exhilarating, magical experience.”
She continues, “Pastels are an amazing medium, created using the same pigments found in every other medium. However, pastels are composed of pure pigment with minimal binder added that holds the pigment together; hence they contain the highest concentration of pigment of any medium. And because of the “hands-on” aspect of this medium, the relationship between artist and pastel and substrate is an intimate one.”
“Much of the beauty of pastel work lies in the layering of color upon color. Crystalized, tiny particles of that stick or block of pure pigment [sometimes referred to as ‘sticks of light’] are imparted onto the work surface. These crystals catch, reflect, and refract the light, seemingly embodying the very life of the subject itself.”