Welcome
Thank you for visiting Skidgel Studios. My name is Cindy Skidgel and I'm an artist who enjoys working in many mediums, choosing to focus on the subject matters of nature and animals rather than one medium.
I work in both flat and dimensional needle felted fiber art and my art glass work includes handmade beads, mosaics and stained glass.
Recently, I've rediscovered my original love of drawing and painting and am currently working in watercolor and acrylic.
photo credit: Nancy Greindl
I work in both flat and dimensional needle felted fiber art and my art glass work includes handmade beads, mosaics and stained glass.
Recently, I've rediscovered my original love of drawing and painting and am currently working in watercolor and acrylic.
photo credit: Nancy Greindl
Inspiration
My inspiration comes from many sources, but a strong one in my life is nature. From tree bark to ocean tide pools, the textures and life influence my work. I take those inspirations and sometimes play around with color, so a sea urchin bead from me and my torch may end up being blue and orange. The landscape also influences my color palette.
Animals are my muse and I especially enjoy learning about wild animals around the world as I incorporate them in my work. I inevitably end up watching documentaries of animals I'm working on through YouTube and I typically learn a lot of interesting things about the animal I'm creating.
photo: Glen Ellis Falls, New Hampshire, Cindy Skidgel.
Animals are my muse and I especially enjoy learning about wild animals around the world as I incorporate them in my work. I inevitably end up watching documentaries of animals I'm working on through YouTube and I typically learn a lot of interesting things about the animal I'm creating.
photo: Glen Ellis Falls, New Hampshire, Cindy Skidgel.
Fiber
Needle Felting, whether flat or dimensional, involves wool from sheep, alpaca or angora rabbit to create sculpture or other works of art. A special barbed needle is repeatedly stabbed into the wool to lock the fibers together to create objects. Many of my creations include wire armatures in my animals which allows me to make them larger and gently posable.
Glass
Lampwork
I work with Italian soda lime glass and a propane/oxygen torch to heat the glass to its melting point. From that point, the molten glass gets wrapped around a metal mandrel (which forms the hole) and with enough heat, colors and twirling of the mandrel, glass beads of many shapes and sizes are formed.
I have the most fun when creating sculptural beads.
I work with Italian soda lime glass and a propane/oxygen torch to heat the glass to its melting point. From that point, the molten glass gets wrapped around a metal mandrel (which forms the hole) and with enough heat, colors and twirling of the mandrel, glass beads of many shapes and sizes are formed.
I have the most fun when creating sculptural beads.
Mosaics
I enjoy using found objects, bits from nature, and stained glass in my mosaics. Some of my favorite work are landscapes or pet portraits in mosaic. I cut and adhere tiny pieces of stained glass to form the piece.
Here is a pet portrait in progress, with my cat supervising.
I enjoy using found objects, bits from nature, and stained glass in my mosaics. Some of my favorite work are landscapes or pet portraits in mosaic. I cut and adhere tiny pieces of stained glass to form the piece.
Here is a pet portrait in progress, with my cat supervising.
Stained Glass
My stained glass panels feature sea glass I've found plus an antique bottle, new glass nuggets and edge glass.
My stained glass panels feature sea glass I've found plus an antique bottle, new glass nuggets and edge glass.