Beautiful Camano, nestled among the islands in Puget Sound, is an island of artists. Its rich history of art, legendary artists, and natural beauty makes it Washington’s premier destination for art lovers and collectors. Camano has been home to my family of artists since 1946 and I’m honored to share some of the artists on “my island.” Let’s visit the studio of Cecelia Tweed, whose art is vibrant with imagination.
Meet Cecilia Tweed
Cecilia and Steven Tweed moved to Camano from Plymouth River, a small town in northern California’s Sierra Nevadas, four years ago. It was on Camano that Cecilia dared to call herself an artist. Ceclia traces her creativity to her father, who was an immigrant from Cuba: “My father was an artist. We are from Cuba. We came over when I was a little girl. He started painting in Cuba. Then all that happened with the change with Castro, so we came to the United States. He got really involved with oil painting, doing portraits. I watched him paint my own life. It put him in his happy place; the rest of the world disappeared.” Cecilia’s father didn’t make his living by art. Like Cecilia, art was his love, his passion.
Cecilia is a retired hair stylist. She had a salon down in San Diego. That’s where her creativity expressed herself. But she didn’t consider herself an artist. She got involved with the Camano Art Association “kind of as a fluke” a year and a half ago. She wanted to meet more artists so she took the studio tour, “went around and met some artists and became inspired,” she says, “and here you go.”
Self-Taught Artist
“I never took a class,” Cecilia says. “I got started with pouring. I watched YouTube videos and thought ‘this is kind of fun.’” When Cecilia got bored with pouring, she started playing around with different expressions and styles of painting, watching more YouTube videos. “I come up here and I shut the world out. I put on my music. I dance. I paint while I’m dancing. It’s my happy place. Cecilia’s husband (name) supports her one hundred percent.
Cecilia’s art flows from her imagination. “I’m very creative,” Cecilia shares. “I think I have an overactive imagination. Artwork is a really good outlet for me.” Each painting is a one-in-a kind expression of her imagination. Now she has the courage to call herself an artist.
Cecilia Inspired by Camano’s Beauty
Cecilia and Steven call Camano “Mayberry” because it is so welcoming, such a friendly, kind place like the town of Andy Griffith. While she is one of Camano’s newest artists, she fits right in. Camano inspires. “If you look around you, you have the mountains, you have the trees. You have the water, the whales. When we first moved here, we would sit out every day and watch the Orcas come by. You don’t get that everywhere. You have the Olympic Mountains. There’s a lot of inspiration for art. It’s not just the beauty for Cecilia. “The community has been so welcoming.”
Stop by Studio 13 to see Cecilia’s vibrant imagination.
Here’s a sneak peak at Ceclia’s Studio.