Meet the Duck Girl

I'm Cindy Coleman, the artist behind Duck Girl Art. I live in Durango, Colorado, where I spend as much time as possible enjoying the outdoors—exploring mountains, trails, wildflower meadows, National Parks, and all the beautiful places in between.

I'm a painter, an adventurer, and a serious collector of moments. You know those times when you're standing somewhere beautiful and think, I wish I could keep this feeling forever? That's what I paint.

Every Painting Starts With an Adventure

Most of my paintings begin with a photograph I take while I'm out adventuring. I'm drawn to dramatic clouds, wildflowers, mountain peaks, reflections, and those fleeting moments when everything comes together just right. Back in my studio, I use soft pastels to turn those photographs into paintings. I'm not trying to simply reproduce the photograph; I'm trying to remember the whole experience—the light, the wind, the colors, the sounds, the feeling of standing there. The painting becomes my way of holding onto that moment.

And hopefully, when you look at one of my paintings, you feel a little bit of that too.

How I Became a Pastel Painter

Funny thing is, I never planned to become a landscape painter. I spent the first 20 years of my career as a graphic designer, illustrator and an artist working in all kinds of media. Then life took an unexpected turn (read about that here), and when I eventually returned to making art, I found a box of old pastels from high school. I thought, What the heck. I'll give these a try. Then I bought a set of nice pastels.A few paintings later, I was hooked. I loved the color. I loved the texture. I loved the way I could build an entire landscape with my hands. I realized I'd found the kind of painting I'd been looking for all along.

I'm an illustration graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design and a member of the Pastel Society of America, Pastel Society of Colorado, and Pastel Society of New Mexico. My work is exhibited throughout the Four Corners region, and I continue to work as a graphic designer alongside my painting career. I’m a member of the Animas Chocolate Artist Collective, Artisans of Mancos, and The 9318 Collective.

I feel incredibly fortunate to be making art in a pretty amazing place—and I'm always looking for the next adventure. And why “Duck Girl”? Ask me when you see me, it's a good story.