Biography: Cydney grew up downstate and attended Michigan State University, earning a BS degree in education. Deciding that structured teaching was not for her, she left Michigan and moved to Cody, Wyoming, and loved photographing the beauty of Yellowstone. After moving to California, she studied oil painting for three years with instructor Wava Myers. She also attended workshops with Donna Willems, Sally Seago, and Paul Buxman. Just before moving back to Michigan, she attended the Bear Tooth School of Art in Montana and studied with wildlife artists John Seery-Lester and Paco Young.

Once back in Michigan, she began watercolor classes with local artist June Storm and attended workshops with Dale Popovich, Catherine Carey, Trish Morgan, Sterling Edwards, and Sandra Strohschein. 

Artist Statement: I've loved drawing and photography since I was a child. The only thing I loved more was exploring the "wonders" of nature. Since I started painting, I haven't viewed nature in the same way. I see potential paintings, which will capture the memory, experience, or "wonder" in paint. The sky is no longer blue, it's cerulean, cobalt, stormy Payne's grey, or a transparent orange sunset. When applying watercolors to paper, I love watching pigments interact with each other and water. They seem to dance and sing, sometimes doing something totally unexpected - that's the "wonder."