January 1st, 2018.

CMSA; My current oil painting student is rocking my world, here's a little exercise he did on painting directly wet into wet. maybe his third oil painting ever..

December 31st, 2017.

cmsa; my lil bro gave me an "echo" for xmas, and i noticed i sound very strict and stern when i address her. and i noticed that's true of everyone who "talks" to their own...so.....equal rights for artificial intelligence, i'm gonna call her dear alexa and try to be nicer to her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 11th, 2017.

CMSA; Here's Botticelli art history cmsa style; I enjoy putting llittle visual "jokes" in paintings, so i assume other artists have felt that way as well, Take Mercury in the primavera painting for instance,( i've repainted him to the right in my version. ) See his careful and elaborate coiffure? His beautiful physique and his snappy cap? Very well groomed and his outfit has more gold in it than all the others put together??? Go on to notice he's not paying any attention to the half naked women in close proximity? We can therefore conclude he's gay , right? I find that funny, well in a lowest-common-denominator sort of way...Please note the changes i've made to boticelli's central grace as well, i swapped out her lithe butt for a kardasian one, and gave her a tan line...also, she's clearly gay too, right?

December 10th, 2017.

cmsa;NOTES FROM LOS ANGELES; "a wrinkle in time", oil on linen, 54x68".. There are moments here in los angeles, usually in the hour before sunset when i notice everything has an other- worldly radiance. So exquisite is the moment that the city seems to go still and silent, and into that vacuum i sense magic can flow. Like a time machine or a "portal" to a parallel universe...in this particular painting i'm imagining a time machine, that brings the model from botticelli's graces into relationship (love at first sight!) with the modern woman who was my model.

December 2nd, 2017.

cmsa; during the 20 years i lived and raised kids in rural norcal, i called myself a "kitchen table artist" ......i never stopped painting every day (necessary to my sanity). I made simple paintings representing myself as a mom and the lives of my kids. Most of the paintings were never shown, and during this time i completely lost touch with the contemporary art scene...here's one of them of my son Casey with his best bud, Zach Thiele....

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November 29th, 2017.

CMSA; One of the finished paintings inspired by seeing footage of displaced hurricane victims resting and staying dry in a row of wheel barrows. "Madonna and Child" c. valle , with excellent models; Julie Smith and neighbor Kacee

November 28th, 2017.

cmsa; everything of value i've discovered as an artist, I originally came upon by accident...so rather than "thinking up" stuff, all i really have to do is recognize it when it happens..this particular pose i first saw in footage of people resting in wheel barrows during a tropical hurricane...not sure why yet, but the pose resonates with me.

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November 26th, 2017.

CMSA; Commission for Howard Hospital Chapel;

"A Place for You" oil on linen

When my sister was dying of cancer at Cottage hospital in Santa Barbara, i typically stopped and looked at the oil paintings displayed every time i came and left her room, and i was comforted. They were simple landscape paintings of what appeared to be the surrounding foothills. It wasn't the image but rather the late afternoon (or early morning) light depicted that soothed me. I learned then, that golden light can touch the soul and remind the viewer of "the bigger picture". It hints at the Spirit that binds us all together, without the specific trappings of any particular religion. To paint this light, as it illuminates a typical mendo county landscape was my intention in "A Place for You".. I sincerely hope it will give solace to those who visit the chapel . Cynda Valle

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November 15th, 2017.

cmsa; CYNDAMARY'S RULES TO LIVE BY" Creative Courage means continuing despite your doubts, not quitting because of them" -Rollo May... I would add; "and if you're going to fail, have the courage to do it spectacularly! Never play it safe. And remember being predictable can be fatal , creatively speaking" 
"Be married to the process, more than the initial idea"

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October 14th, 2017.

cmsa; one of cmsa's most amazing alum Robert Parmenter 5 years ago, this pose from a live painting session, he let me pose him as a 70's dad after a long day at work...he's a chameleon when it comes to modeling, i swear he was channeling my own dad....
oil on canvas, c. valle

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September 21st, 2017

cmsa; in most every beginning art history class the venus of willendorf shows up. She's often used to demonstrate how one may learn what is important to a culture by noticing the striking exaggerations or the things that are missing from the piece. Exaggerated breasts and belly show the reverence for fertility and reverance for the woman's role. The extra fat present demonstrates the joys of plenty and desire for same. Compare to the evil hackers' click bait that drove me off facebook for awhile...(yeah i painted it) . Very similar image and yet, what does it say is important to our culture and how we view women within it? *sigh*. I think we're in trouble. yeah, i knew this before, but the hacker makes it personal..

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