Cindilla Trent
ARTIST CINDILLA TRENT sat down with community volunteer Catherine Obourne for an insightful Q & A.
Thank you Cindy for generously sharing your story and allowing us to get to know you. The Arts Council appreciates the imaginative art forms that you bring to the valley through the gallery and the workshops you lead. The Nicola Valley is fortunate to have you; a visionary whose contribution enriches Merritt's culture.
CO- Cindy, who and what influenced your artistry ?
CT I was born in Ottawa, lived in Frankford Ontario, Comox and Nelson BC, on Moresby Island and now the Nicola Valley. I grew up in a creative family, my mother painted among many other creative things. My father was a woodworker. They had always encouraged their children to do what they loved. I graduated from Kootenay School of Art in 1969. I have been an art teacher at summer camp for special needs children and I have had gallery exhibits, in Nelson, Haida Gwaii, Comox and Merritt.
CO- Cindy, what is one of the earliest stories you remember hearing, one that told you about the World ?
CO- What was your first real job?
CO- Tell us about your favorite music; listening and playing.
CO Who would you prefer to listen to, the Rolling Stones or the Beatles ?
CO As a creative person, who are the influential artists or thinkers who inspired you?
CO How would you define Art? And, what kind of advice would you offer an aspiring creative person?
CO What is your favourite back road in/around the Nicola Valley?
CO If you weren’t an artist what profession would you consider?
CO Your favourite sound, smell, taste, sight would be...
CO If you were writing your autobiography, how would you title it
CO If you could meet and have dinner with 2 extraordinary individuals, who would they be?
CO Twitter and Instagram. Your thoughts?
CO Perfect happiness. What does that mean to you?
CO What do you admire most about friends?
CO What is the best gift you have ever been given or have given?
CT My Dad was in the Air Force. He would travel with his work and come home to tell us about the places he had been and what he had seen. I loved hearing about the birds and animals he encountered in those far-off places.
CT I was an oyster grader on Vancouver Island, then worked on the Forbidden Plateau ski hill. I was also a Park Interpreter at Miracle Beach Provincial Park.
CT I like anything from the ’70s and yes, I enjoy playing my ukulele, when I am not creating.
CT The Beatles. My favorite musician changes a lot. Right now it is Laura Marling, a folk singer from the UK
CT Leonardo Da Vinci, Diana Lynn Thompson, and Georgia O'Keefe
CT I think it is the physical representation of internal thought and feelings. I would recommend doing what you love.
CT Pimainus Road
CT Marine Biologist
CT I love the sound of waves on the beach, the smell of salty air. Clean clear water tastes better than anything. And, I love to see the ocean stretching out to the horizon.
CT Out of The Chaos
CT Leonardo Da Vinci & David Attenborough
CT I think most of it is a waste of valuable time. Life is too short!
CT A day snorkeling in Hawaiian waters
CT Their kindness and strength
CT A happy childhood with supportive parents