Meet Cindi Rose | Top silhouette artist and Dr. of Divinity.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cindi Rose and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cindi, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My business since I was a teen preserves a lost art, and I empower each person as I hand-cut a portrait with positive words. In the beginning, I earned my total college degree working summers at Disneyland California, and Astroworld. Houston. After college I worked as a silhouette artist at DisneyWorld, Florida. I was always able to do charity work even though I worked 14 hour days, 5 days a week.
Today I give my money back to various charities, namely The Holly Rose Ribbon Foundation a 501 c) (3) I founded in honor of my sister Holly, who had cancer. She was diagnosed to live 3 months. With her many causes, goals, she lived 15 years. I have saved over 99 lives with my husband, Franklin Rose, a surgeon. We are fortunate to have family homes in several states, and this, I like to be an international and national silhouette artist. I donate to certain charities, and serve on cultural and hospital boards.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started my art journey at 5 years young. My teacher saw me sketching her and had me draw everyone in my kindergarten class. I inherited this talent from my mother, Doris Mittleton Harwood, a fine artist and architect. My father, Earl, taught me work hard, and honest, donating back to charity, as well as earning my college degrees! He was a barred lawyer at 20, and prolific writer. He said if you have no money, donate a service, or $1 to all worthwhile causes.
As a nerdy intellectual child, I was shy and had a chipped front tooth. Art and journalism saved me. I would win awards, get elected to positions, as an editor of my high-school paper, and art illustrator. I often was ridiculed for my chipped front tooth, earned from climbing trees, to draw in private. Although I felt different, I always knew that my inside and heart, would shine, as long as my values where pure.
I had 2 exceptional sisters of which I was the middle child. I called myself “Middle C”. I always felt average in the middle of 2 exceptional sisters. I did graduate cum laude from the second best public school in the USA, at 17. Magic happened for me. I was rejected to work in an amusement park as an art cashier due to my chipped tooth. We were hired by photos! My sister was accepted for her beauty. However at the interview she said, “My sister, Cindi, would be perfect, she is a great artist, and organizer”. The park manager said I was not beautiful enough but my sister who always loves me said I was!
Long story short, I came to the interview for Rubio artists of Disneyland, Astroworld, and DisneyWorld with my art portfolio. I said”I don’t want to be a cashier, I am an artist!” They said, “You are prettier than your picture, draw my portrait in pastels.” I did and was hired to draw portraits. The pay was 25 percent of sales without a guarantee of $1. I wanted to earn my college degree. When I saw the poor conditions the portrait artists worked in, their dirty smocks, few actually drawing, the angry competitive faces they had, I had second thoughts.
The flirty manager said, “Oh let me show you something only 6 people in the world can do.” He took me to “Main Street” to the front of the park and said “We have a silhouette artist!” I had never seen one before. This man took out paper and scissors. Without a sketch, photo, he cut a decent bust and side-view of the art manager. In minutes.. It was not in proportion! I knew anatomy. I had studied the muscles and bones, with my uncle, Nathan an MD, and knew that I could do better. I had experience drawing with scissors with my mom. We did Polish, German, Mexican, English, and French paper cuttings. Think of butterflies, snowflakes, hens, and paper dolls.
Somehow fate (to me the Lord) had me burst out and proclaim “I can do that!” I was mocked and told to “do it” cut out his silhouette; the confident art manager’s.
I did in about 2 minutes. He looked at both our work, and shouted to the silhouette male artist. “ She is better than you! You are fired” I was told to come to work the next day in black and white and was the new silhouette artist! This meant more money, subcontinent, no competition, and a chance to fine tune a new skill.
I decided if I was nice, people would not refuse me if I asked them if they would like a silhouette (Paris style) and I sweetly told them they did not have to buy it if they did not like my art. My first 14 hour day I did 60 people. The numbers increased daily. I slept 5 hours a night, going to college in the mornings (7:30 am to 9 am) and getting to work by 9:30 am, finishing by 12.30 am, getting home by 1 am, then practicing. By the summer’s end at 17, years young, with advanced placement I entered college at University of Texas, Austin as a sophomore, with a double major in Fine Arts and Communications! I also won “Miss Austin” with my new confidence from making others happy from working as an entertainment artist in an amusement park. I had 400 to 600 people silhouette days which was more money than I needed to get my degrees and expensive art supplies. After college, and Disneyworld I went on to win Ms.Texas Elite, was a TV health and fitness anchor, and was the first female centerfold in Joe Weider’s Muscle Magazine. He compared my fit silhouette to my art of cutting silhouettes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In LA I would say the Getty Museum, the beach, Palm Springs, The Grove, a Farmer’s Market, Korea Town, and to take easy hikes. I would suggest going to a vineyard.
In Texas I would suggest Umlauf gardens, the music scene, the barbecue, Tex/Mex, fresh Gulf seafood, Dallas arboretum, Marfa, Dallas Mavericks, SMU campus, Mc Kinney Holiday in the Swuare, Houston ballet, Houston opera, Contemporary art museum, Christi’s seafood, Brasserie 19. In Dallas, or Houston, I would say shop at Tootsies, go to Grapevine, Texas, Highland Park, Mansion on Turtle Creek. I might tell any history lover to go to beautiful San Antonio and do the River Walk. It’s USA’s Venice.
I have an Aspen home too so I would say go to the Caribu Club, go to Glenwood Springs, eat at the base of Ajax, go to Little Nell’s.
I work nationally and can do remote FaceTime and Zoom silhouettes. I have been booked in every state in the USA, in Canada and London to do silhouettes for weddings, school fundraisers, toy stores, corporate events and fashion houses.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My work is dedicated to my mother, Doris Harwood, a fine artist and architect that taught me to draw and paint portraits as a child. I also dedicate it to my father, Earl, who raised me in faith, and honesty, that we have a soul path to follow to help others. My favorite book as a child was “I am OK, you are OK.” I was an introvert, an artist and writer, and like many felt “different.” Art, poetry, writing for my school paper, and my belief that each person is special , unique, worthy in their own way, made me confident. Every person can empower others. In 2 minutes, cutting a silhouette of a person, I can impact their lives forever with a few kind words, and a lasting piece of art.

Website: https://SilhouettesbyCindi.com

Instagram: Cindi.silhouette

Linkedin: SikhouettesbyCindi

Facebook: SilhouettesbyCindi and Cindi Rose

Youtube: Silhoiettesbycindi

Email: cindisilhouettes@gmail.com

Image Credits
I took all my photos. Photographed by Silhouette artist Cindi Rose and Debbie Porter photography. I won Miss Global Elite USA. My granddaughter Holland won Miss Little USA