Cynthia “Cindy” Anderson is the July artist of the month for the Selma Art Guild. A licensed cosmetologist, Anderson said her career as a hairstylist prepared her for her career in art. She said after she began scrapbooking in 2007, and then later taking classes in Prattville her love for art grew that much more.

“I just caught on so quickly to the techniques they were teaching in the art classes, that I started developing my own ideas,” she said. “Your own creativity starts flowing when you get inspired by somebody else’s artwork. That’s how I got started.”

The impasto painting stuck out to her and she said she fell in love with the technique.

“A lot of the work that has inspired me has either been done with the impasto technique or a pallet knife,” she said.

Anderson specializes in oil pastels, acrylics and mixed media artwork, and she said she enjoys non-realism as her genre of choice.

“All of my art is non-realistic,” she said.

Often times Anderson draws inspiration just from the way she is feeling. She takes those feelings and turns them into pieces of art.

“Although my stuff is not realistic, it’s based off of my feelings at the time,” she said. “I might be in a spiritual mood, so I’ll paint crosses, or angels or the sky.”

Anderson joined the art guild after meeting Joanna Nichols during the First Morning Artwalk.

“[Nichols] said ‘You should come to the art guild, we’re looking for new members,’” Anderson said.

Prior to meeting Nichols, Anderson had no idea Selma had an art guild. She said after one meeting she joined and has enjoyed it ever since.

She has only been a member of the art guild for about a year, so Anderson was surprised to find out she was going to be the July featured artist.

“I was thrilled to death,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to be featured.”

In honor of Anderson being the Artist of the Month, the Selma Art Guild located at 508 Selma Ave., is hosting a reception on July 15 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.