Painted c. 1958-1985
12" x 9"
Watercolor on paper
Sydna rarely
Caribbean Street
Painted in 1970
10" x 14"
Oil on canvas
Inspiration
for this painting originated from Sydna's numerous Caribbean vacation cruises.
You can feel the tropical breeze just looking at this piece.
The painting depicts a peaceful scene, with a relaxed feel - something you'd expect in the tropics. People are moving about, maybe a business transaction is taking place on the street, and boats appear in the distant water. Meanwhile, the scene's dominant figure, a woman in the foreground, appears to be on a rooftop, taking it all in.
Everything about the piece is relaxing, including the distant clouds. Typically, Sydna adds a lot of expression into her skies. And, in a way, the skies tell this painting's story as well - hazy, slow moving, and sun-bleached. Another beautiful day in the caribbean.
Autumn Road
Painted c. 1964-1979
18" x 14"
Oil on canvas
This unsigned Sydna's gives the observer a comfortable, yet cool feeling. The golden, reddish, brown ground, and bare trees are reminders of autumn. Ominous clouds appear in the distance and brush strokes allude to rain showers.
Sydna's broad brush strokes shows a determined hand in this piece. The sky, beautifully dramatic, is typical of Sydna's work. And, I believe it reflects her mid to late period, after she began developing those skills.
Autumn Road possesses wonderful balance - The dominance of the road perspective and the big sky keep pulling your eye back to center, allowing you to comfortably look from one area to the next, while being comfortable with the painting's innate symmetry. The broad strokes allow your eye to follow down the road, up a roof, across the yellow-brown fields, or explore the sky's intensity.
See more of Sydna's Urban collection here.
Verrazano Bridge
Painted c. 1958-1969
Original Size: 24" x 20"
Oil on canvas
This early, unsigned Sydna, represents the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, entrance to the Upper Bay of New York Harbor. The bridge connects Staten Island (depicted left) with Brooklyn (right). In this painting, the artist's viewpoint is looking north, with the bright lights of a NYC evening. In the distance, you can see Manhattan and, to the left, the Statue of Liberty's torch.
The observer's eye is immediately drawn to the bridge, gleaming white amongst the city lights and darkened waters. The bridge is certainly the painting's focal point. And, that makes sense, considering the time of creation. Bridge groundbreaking was 1959, the lower level finished in 1964, and the upper level in 1969.
The painting is also significant in Sydna's life. As an infant, she entered America by passing through the Narrows, on her way to Ellis Island. In a way, it's her 'modern' version of her arrival to the United States. I think understanding that, allows you to forgive the weak elements of the painting's top half. The bottom half, with its attractive whites and blues, is where the picture's beauty lies. But, it's the top half, which holds Sydna's sentimental connection.
And, you can buy a good-looking coffee mug or canvas reproduction in our shop.
Nighttime Gotham
c. 1960-1978
Oil on black velvet
20" x 10"
Originally, I thought Sydna used chalk on this piece. But, upon closer inspection, I realized it was paint. This isn't the velvet Elvis kitsch of the 70s. It's soft strokes allow the black background to come through, while the more solid elements take advantage of the typical color 'pop' that velvet yields. And, Sydna's piece creates this balance between a lively and ominous scene - Gotham.
Writer/artist Frank Miller has stated, "Gotham City is New York at night." [1] Sydna's work represents the view one would have looking at mid-town Manhattan from across the East River. The skyscrapers remind the viewer of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings. The United Nations is represented at the water's edge with impressions of the Secretariat tower and the General Assembly dome. And, beyond the buildings, light pollution originates from the theater district and Times Square. Remember, this wasn't the pleasant, Disneyfied scene of Times Square today. The 1960s and 70s was an era of sleaze, grit, grime, and crime. Sydna artfully captured the excitement and danger in this, one of her most dramatic pieces - Nighttime Gotham.
See more Sydna city pieces in our Urban Collection.
And, in our shop you can buy a canvas reproduction or cool coffee mug.