"I like to paint wildlife and people. I like the colours of certain animals and I enjoy painting the different shades of people’s skin because there are so many hidden colours in them”
Anita Cedeno is proving to be one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most promising artists. The Mt. Lambert resident is a School Psychologist by profession but in recent years has consciously devoted her time to exploring her creative side. For those who may not know Cedeno, her love for art may seem far fetched, but according to her, it has always been of interest to her. “I have always loved art. As a child, I would always try my hand at different things”, she recalled. Although she did not pursue art formally in school, after her Advanced Level years at Bishop Anstey High School, she took a six month art course with her Art teacher, Ms Howard. For the nascent artist, the experience was life changing. “I learnt how to use paint” she said. “I’ve always experimented with drawing using pencil but I was afraid of using paint”. Cedeno added that her teacher taught her to look beyond the obvious when replicating people and objects so that she gained a perspective that was far beyond what was customary or expected.
Since her introduction to colour by Ms. Howard, it has somehow become her signature style. “ I like to paint wildlife and people. I like the colours of certain animals and I enjoy painting the different shades of people’s skin because there are so many hidden colours in them.” she stated. Her keen eye when painting and drawing has also helped her to differentiate herself from other artists domestically and also allows art enthusiasts to gain a sense of who the normally private and conservative artist is.. “I like to pay attention to detail and my paintings reflect the way I am”. I normally zone in to very minute details that are usually overlooked”. Although Art remained Anita’s hobby while she majored in Psychology with Cognitive Science at the University of Sussex in England, Anita never gave up on practising her craft. In 2009 therefore, she decided to host a joint exhibition in Bara aria where she displayed twenty pieces of work themed “We Back Yard”. “We displayed a lot of local scenes in Trinidad and Tobago, so it included beach scenes, local plants and vendors.” The response to her work was overwhelming where most of her paintings were sold.
On the heels of her mega-successful art exhibition two years ago, Anita has been encouraged to work on a second one carded for Easter 2012. Her theme “Colours and Curves” is geared towards displaying and highlighting colour in her art. Due to her busy schedule, Cedeno paints about twice per week where an average painting takes about two to three days. By next year, she is hoping to display approximately twenty to twenty five paintings. When asked what draws her to art, Cedeno replied, “I like to know that I can create something from nothing! It brings me a lot of satisfaction and joy when I’m doing it. I feel very free and that I can just ‘be’ when I do my art. I also love that there are no real mistakes in art because everything is fixable.” Quite the academic, Anita is still pursuing a career in Psychology but does not think that she has to forgo one passion for another. Instead she would like to marry the two in the future. “I have two loves, Art and Psychology and I would like to give attention to both areas. I am hoping to explore Art Therapy in my career at some point. Art helps to tap into a different level of your psyche and it works wonders”, she iterated. With her impactful use of colour and keen eye for detail, this daughter of the soil is already on her way to realising her dreams.
For more info on Anita Cedeno’s work, check out www.coloursandcurves.com
By: Tennille Alleyne
