The Design of Intentional Artwork With Third-Generation Impressionist, Cindy Shaoul
WORDS BY,
BRANDON SCOTT ROYE
The Dutch In Spring, Oil Painting. Courtesy of Cindy Shaoul
In many cases, the artwork chooses the collector
With a refreshingly easygoing perspective on the creation and experience of art, Shaoul gravitates towards pure impressionism with an eye towards the fleeting glimpses, feelings, memories and movements of life.
9 MINS READ TIME
There comes a time in every gentleman’s life when they must box up the knick-knacks, roll up the posters, and fancy themselves an “art collector” of intention and style.
What they don’t tell you in school is that it’s not just about the form of each artwork within your collection. Where there is form, function is always to be found. And the fact of the matter is—collecting artwork can move you forward in more ways than you could ever imagine, if curated wisely.
What is the gap between how you see yourself and how you’d like to see yourself?
The gap between how others see you versus how you’d like them to?
How can you vote with your dollars to support like-minded creators, climate and culture?
It’s about the artist, material, process, story—and yes, of course, making sure it’s beautiful too. Weighing all of these factors led me to impressionist painter, Cindy Shaoul. Wading through her archives, there is a glistening string to be found which ties together all of her paintings—a legacy of color, curiosity, joy and family.
The Dutch, Oil Painting. Courtesy of Cindy Shaoul
With a refreshingly easygoing perspective on the creation and experience of art, Shaoul gravitates towards pure impressionism with an eye towards the fleeting glimpses, feelings, memories and movements of life.
“Recently, I’ve focused on three series: Brides, My Hearts and Dripping Dots. The latter is a world tour concept, sending the viewer on a path down to Monaco, Saint Tropez and the likes. These series intertwine to tell relatable stories of love and romance, topical summers, the free spirit of the bride and dazzling wherever you go,” she shares.
In many cases, the artwork chooses the collector. Beginning with a large 60x50 commission, collectors discover accompanying pieces across Shaoul’s three series, forming a collective impression of their own personal story. This can be based on stylistic preferences, endearing memories and future aspirations—like that trip through Morocco you’ve always dreamt of.
Growing up in a family of artists, Shaoul’s mother and grandfather left a foundational impression on her life and work which she now shares with her own daughter, Aubrey, reminiscing:
“My grandfather lived with us for a time and didn’t have a studio, so I’d always come home to school to find him painting in our living room. I loved sitting and watching him with an attunement to the details. Tiny stars in space, using tools to keep his hands off of the painting, getting every little dot just right. And my mother, she loved sweeping landscapes. They were huge pieces and she’d finish them so fast.
The process was entertainment. And funny enough, I never thought of painting for myself. In school, I was into sports and musicals. It wasn’t until the last year of high school that I took a drawing course because they didn’t offer painting.
College guided me on the path of becoming an artist. I wanted to take art classes, but the closest thing I could find was stage design which was surprisingly mathematical. My mind doesn’t work that way at all. I realized I was in the wrong place altogether and transferred back to New York. I enrolled in Baruch College and the Art Students League.
This is where I learned from the great impressionist painters, how to mix colors, how to get those bright whites that make a painting pop. I love painting in class. It’s really motivating. Everybody lifts each other up. It’s an incredible environment for getting to the next level of your craft because you’re getting real-time criticism from your teacher and peers. They’ll look at your work and say, ‘this reminds me of Matisse or Renoir.’
We all have that subtle, questioning voice in our head and painting with peers can inspire you to get over that and truly believe in yourself.”
Tuning into Shaoul’s comment, “the process was entertainment,” we dove into the world of Plein Air, the technical phrase for painting in the great outdoors, as well as performance artwork.
Absorbing the limitless energy of Manhattan’s landscapes and people, she often looks up from her easel to find a crowd forming around her. Sharing stories and techniques with strangers has brought her a sense of fulfillment which simply cannot be found in isolation.
During the isolating days of the pandemic, Shaoul painted and auctioned “Girl With Balloons” on Instagram Live. Her followers love to see the process unfold from a blank canvas to finishing touches.
Three Lives & Co, Oil Painting. Courtesy of Cindy Shaoul
Curious to learn more about her introduction to Plein Air through teacher Greg Kreutz, Shaoul accounts,
“I was in a class of about 10 students and one day, Greg said, ‘For our next class, meet at the Flatiron. Everyone kept asking, ‘Where?’ to which he would only respond, ‘In front of it.’
He placed us in the median between streets, protected by oversized planters. We were immersed in an intersection of cars flying by.
I drew from that experience the ability to paint from life on the street. He explained the color blocking, mixing paint for the pavement, differentiating lights and darks. I learned how to dig into the details of people, cars, taxis.
With time, you learn to just have fun with it and create your own story. When you’re in a group setting, some paintings turn out photo realistic and others leave out certain details, both small and large. I love to focus on street life, while others paint the building and leave the street out altogether.
I’ll notice flower stands, beautiful women, statuous crests on the buildings of Fifth Avenue. I just love paints, so I’ll grab blobs, put it on the canvas and simply create this feeling of being there.”
Vesuvio Bakery, Oil Painting. Courtesy of Cindy Shaoul
Unbeknownst to many, movement in front of the canvas varies between artists. While some can be very careful, methodical, still and technical—others like Shaoul listen to music and move their body while they create.
Explaining, “In a philosophical way, walking through the streets of a big city like Paris, you might glance over and see an amazing subject in motion—like a woman in a big dress grabbing a taxi. You take a picture of that mentally and remember, ‘how New York, how Paris, how London.’ These impressions live in the back of my mind which lead to a Stepping Out series of women running around big cities.”
Drawing inspiration from parks, waters, beaches, Sunday brunching and Manhattan streets—Shaoul gravitates towards places where people gather and celebrate life. She strives to infuse, “the feeling of taking a step back from everyday life and work to enjoy time together,” within her paintings.
“When it’s hanging on your wall, you see it throughout the day, taking you back to those happy times and encouraging you to discover those moments in your everyday routine. The colors, the vibrations of the whites, the gold and silver leaf. I want to infuse those intense, good feelings into each collector’s home through each painting,” Shaoul shares.
Speaking to the Dripping Dots series, this came about unexpectedly over a 3-5 year period.
At first, Shaoul was playing during breaks and at the end of still life sessions, cleaning up her brushes and painting an abstract as a ritual. One day, a friend was visiting, asked about the pieces piling up as an afterthought and ended up loving the series. This gave Shaoul the confidence to take the series seriously and experiment on a bigger scale with oil paint, silver leaf, gold leaf and glass.
The palette of each painting can come about through experience like coffee and croissants at a cafe in Paris, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. They can also come about wandering through the aisles of a paint store.
A part of studying is learning to play with color, as there is much more to experiment with than core tones and mixing techniques. School gives you structure and tools to refine your craft. Cindy asserts that it’s equally important to feel uninhibited in front of the canvas, leaning into your wild side, feeling free and enjoying the process.
“I’m a naturally colorful person. Life is so much more fun that way,” she laughs.
Part of the artistic journey is studying and mimicking your teachers and famous artists throughout history. Shaoul found herself drawn towards Pierre-Auguste Renoir impressionism, emphasizing the space in which your eye can fill in the rest of each painting.
She began learning from Edward Potthast with scenes of children and dogs on the beach. Sun glistening, sailboats floating—a freeing moment of joy among friends. Her studies included his brushstrokes, how he picks up paint on the palette with a brush, how he didn’t blend everything on the palette, rather blending on the canvas. Then, she went out on her own and found subjects on the streets, encouraging, “once you’ve learned someone else’s style you love, you can find your own.”
Cafe Cluny, Oil Painting. Courtesy of Cindy Shaoul
Left with a number of 10x8 boards from crates, Shaoul covered them in thick oil paint, squeezing tubes and tubes of white, grabbing the paint with a huge brush. Similar to the ethos of Hunt Slonem’s bunnies and with the intention of painting smaller, affordable work, the concept of hearts came to Shaoul in a flash. She experimented with new universes in the background of each heart through blending, mixing and splattering.
The colors, the process and the excitement about how each will turn out keeps Shaoul going—even though they take a month to dry.
On collector engagement and business development, Shaoul coaches,
“It’s all about communication. When brainstorming commissions, it’s important to understand where they’re coming from, what their vision is and ensure you’re both on the same wavelength.
They’ll often say, ‘if you ever do a piece like this, let me know.’ Of course, I keep this in the back of my mind and a few weeks later, I’ll find the time to create one and reach back out. Sometimes they’ll ask for a few lines and colors to be added to a finished piece. I’m always happy to include them in the process.”
I asked Shaoul if she envisioned becoming a teacher one day and she shared visions of launching a podcast and Youtube with brief 10-minute tutorials on her love of painting and techniques. Reassuring, “Everyone’s an artist. You just nurture and water your passions, like a plant. If you start small and block out a little time each day, it all adds up.”
