BROOKFIELD – At about five o’clock on Friday, May 28, a notification popped up on Facebook. “Laura O. Cenedella is live now.” With one click, a backyard scene appeared on the computer screen. In the background center stood a three-seater cushioned canopied swing. Strewn along the faded burgundy back rest were various blankets and pillows with one pillow embroidered with the Stars and Stripes. Resting on the center seat cushion was a Canon camera with what appeared to be a 35-80mm lens. 

Various oil paintings, in the lower left foreground of the screen, casually leaned against the swing. To the right was a small table. Arranged on the table was a used painter’s palette with a collage of colors smeared into each other. Overlapping the palette was a couple wet brushes, a jar of brown water discolored from mixed paints, and a black rag with yellow smudges.

For six second, the scene was silent except the faint sounds of nature and a buzz of a vanishing motorcycle engine in the distance. Then the head, left eye, partial forehead, and short, salt and peppered hair of Cenedella appeared in the upper left corner of the screen.

“Oh, look at you,” Cenedella said moving into the frame. “There you are. All in my backyard. This is my backyard swing.”

Prior to Covid-19, Cenedella conducted live in-person art demonstrations. During the Pandemic, she conducts free live two-hour painting demonstration on Facebook for the Blackstone Valley Art Association. This particular demo was only a three-minute teaser. Her demos are free and she pays for all supplies, printing, still life items, etc. “The idea is to bring art to people that did not have access. While homebound, I let people into my studio to see how I do what I do and give a few pointers. I never asked for anything from anyone and it gave my viewers the chance to see things they could not get at home.”

Life hasn’t always been this surreal and easygoing for Cenedella. For years, the Brookfield artist dealt with many physical ailments. It wasn’t until 2006 when she learned the cause of her chronic pain. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The bad news actually came with some solace. 

“I was somewhat relieved after years of medical conditions to have a diagnosis,” she said. “(But it) was scary and a challenge for me.”

Some of the debilitating symptoms of MS are changes in vision, numbness, dizziness, painful muscle contractions, and fatigue, just to name a few. For an artist who relies on her vision and hands, her diagnosis posed some difficult obstacles. To cope, Cenedella simply turned to what she does best, making art! 

“When I am creating fine art, it takes me away from the pain of my disease,” she said. “Some days are better than others and it is nice to be able to express myself in so many ways and have the opportunity to share it with friends, family, and my community.”

Cenedella had a lot of artistic mediums to draw from, too, such as oil, acrylics, watercolor, pastels and photography. “I had to develop new ways of doing what I love,” she said. Cenedella looked to capture the beauty of the world around her within her art. She painted land and seascapes. She photographed wildlife and farm animals, as well as different architecture, like church steeples and barn exteriors. She even searched around her house and painted what she saw. “I had determination and found normal house hold items that I could use or transform something into a working extension of myself to still create,” she said. She found beauty and inspiration everywhere.

“Art has always been therapeutic for me,” she said. “It takes me to a place where life is more manageable in many ways. (When I am) practicing art, focusing on projects and deadlines, I am able to live with my disease and all that comes with it.”

Cenedella was born in the summer of 1968 in Western Massachusetts. Her family later moved to Cape Cod where she spent much of her childhood. She was inspired by her mother to express herself through art and she loved art class in elementary school. “When I was in school, my favorite time of day was when I was allowed to draw and paint,” she said. “I do not remember what exactly it was that lit the flame of my passion … In elementary school I remember the excitement when I got to experiment with all kinds of mediums … I believe that working in a single medium is restrictive to my artistic process. Each idea manifests in its own individual style.

“As I got older, this love never faded and eventually I went on to study art,” she said. As a third grader, she won several regional, state, and national art competitions. As a teen, she spent her high school years studying art in Western Massachusetts at Holyoke High School. She excelled in school with honors and later would continue her art studies at Massasoit Community College and Stonehill College. 

Cenedella’s art resume is extensive. She was selected to paint the City of Pawtucket’s public art display. Her piece called “Painted Canoe” won her a two-page spread in a tabletop art book. Her work and paintings were published in various tourism magazines. She received recognition from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for an art installation. She was even hired by a regional printing company to do paintings that depicted local towns for phonebook covers.

More importantly to Cenedella, her community efforts have been recognized by local Chamber of Commerce’s, Tourism, and Education Programs and earned the honor of participating as an artist residency for various school districts in Massachusetts.

Cenedella said she prefers to paint with oils on birch panels, but her artwork varies in styles. She said it is important to practice all the mediums in order to teach. 

“I have taught basics in fine arts using simple design and color palettes,” she said. “My hope is that I can help others see the world differently, reduce the noise or stress in their lives and encourage them to find the tools they need to continue their artistic journey. 

Cenedella said happiness through art is the true definition of success as an artist. “When I share what I do it makes me feel good. If someone takes what I have shown them and they produce something that makes them happy, that’s what it’s all about.”

To view or purchase Cenedella’s work, visit her website at: artistlauracenedella.godaddysites.com or contact her at therainbowpalette@gmail.com.