Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Cynthia lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Michael Nowak, an avid fly fisherman and an excellent cook.  They enjoy dining out, traveling and share a love of food and wine.

“Growing up, my siblings and I were not schooled in art, but we were always sketching.  Even my late mother drew every night before going to bed”, Cynthia mused.  She studied piano for many years.  In late 1993, she took art classes at Guy Mason Studio Arts.  There, she learned oil painting by copying the works of the Old Masters like Monet, Picasso, and Modigliani, among others.  Painting has since become a passion.  She attended the Washington Studio School for two years to further sharpen her skills.  Her piano is still tuned every year but has, sadly, played second fiddle to her art.

Her Art

Cynthia uses watercolor, charcoal, pastel, and ink periodically but oil is her favorite medium.  Her style is primarily representational with touches of impressionism although she has ventured into abstraction in some of her pieces.  “My art reflects my visual and emotional experiences.  A face in the crowd, a scene from nature, or a disquieting piece of news can trigger an idea for a painting or drawing.

“Her body of work covers a wide range of styles and themes including colorful landscapes and portraits that exude intimacy and warmth… Her style of brushwork and use of colors add drama and energy to her paintings.  Whether representational or abstract, her work reveals a personal approach to her art that seeks to convey a mood or tell a story.”  (Neil Joffe, local artist and art teacher from South Africa)

Lately, she has joined a multitude of artists who turn their artwork into wearable/usable art through ShopVida.  Her design collection consists of scarves, sleeveless tops, tote bags, glass trays, tea towels, cushion covers, and more.

Her Books

Cynthia has written a book, A Life Reclaimed, published in September 2009 by Booklocker.com.  It is about her niece, Sheila, a quadruple amputee who lost her limbs to meningococcemia in 2003.  What happened to her was a tragedy but what she has accomplished since then is an inspiring story of hope, courage, and determination.

Read free excerpts in Booklocker’s website at http://booklocker.com/books/4311.html

In December 2013, she published a children’s book, My Lola and I in ebook and paperback formats through Booklocker.  It is now available in Amazon, Nook, Kobo, and iTunes.

Visit Cynthia’s booksite at http://cynthiaangeles.weebly.com/.