By Beth Williams
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Sunning, acrylic, 8 x 8.
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger’s representational wildlife art is fueled by three Cs—curiosity, color, and contrast. “I’d be bored out of my skull if I painted the same critter over and over,” the Alberta, Canada-based artist says with a laugh. Her diverse work ranges from animals just outside the doorstep of her grain farm to big prey found in the wilds of Africa. All are expressed masterfully with vivid color and light. “Wishy-washy colors aren’t for me,” she continues. “I like things to really jump and have contrast.”
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Black Serenity, acrylic, 18 x 24.
Sorley-Keichinger has been painting in acrylic, oil, and gouache for more than 30 years, the first 15 as “a self-taught apprenticeship.” She describes her style as “a bit of by gosh and by golly, a little bit of this and that”—an amalgam of her life experiences; what works best for a particular subject; “tons” of reference photos; and valuable workshop instruction from notable wildlife painters such as Robert Bateman, John Seerey-Lester, Carl Brenders, Daniel Smith, Terry Isaac, and Guy Combes. The end results “are byproducts of what I saw and the artistic vision of what’s in my head,” she says.
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Contested, acrylic, 24 x 18.
It’s clear that Sorley-Keichinger has parlayed her talent into a successful career. She’s a member of multiple art associations, among them Artists for Conservation, Women Artists of the West, Society of Animal Artists, International Society of Acrylic Painters, and National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society. She’s honored to be shortlisted for the 2022 David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year, an internationally renowned competition and exhibition celebrating the natural world.
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, Autumn Snooze, acrylic, 11 x 14.
The artist hopes that her wildlife work can be a panacea in today’s volatile world. “There’s a lot of beauty and interaction out there, if you just take the time to stop and breathe and notice its presence,” she says.
Cindy Sorley-Keichinger, A Touch of Frost, acrylic, 9 x 12.
representation
Picture This! Framing & Gallery, Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada; www.cindysorley-keichinger.com; www.goldenkstudio.com.
This article is part of The Art of Wildlife portfolio.