Always Look Closer: The Layered World of Artist Cynthia Schildhauer
By June 9, 2026 Community banking
Some artists illustrate what they see. Others reflect what they remember. Still others depict what they dream.
For Northern California artist Cynthia Schildhauer, her inspiration lives somewhere in the layers. Art lovers can experience her textured, mixed-media paintings at an exhibit this summer at the Plumas Bank Chico branch.
Presented through an ongoing partnership with the Museum of Northern California Art (monca), Schildhauer’s collection will be on display through September, transforming the Mangrove Avenue branch into an extended gallery space that celebrates creativity in Northern California.
"The artworks you see this summer in Plumas Bank represent important places in my life that I have visited, have lived in or even places I travel to in my imagination as I embark on the journey of creating my layered paintings," Schildhauer said.
Mixed (Media) Metaphors
The layers in her art provide a metaphor of texture, depth and dimension: Physical layers of wax and pigment reflect layers of experience, memory and meaning.
Schildhauer works primarily in encaustic, an ancient art form that combines heated beeswax, damar resin and pigments. Applied while molten, the wax hardens as it cools, allowing the artist to build upon the surface.
"The wax can be manipulated by scratching, scraping, layering and adding a variety of materials to the painting, adding texture and mysterious dimension," Schildhauer explained.
The technique dates back thousands of years, with examples found in ancient Fayum portraits — naturalistic paintings on wooden panels that covered the faces of mummified bodies in Roman Egypt. Today, Schildhauer uses the medium to create contemporary narrative and landscape works that feel both grounded and dreamlike.
Mapping The Journey
Several paintings featured in the exhibit map key places that have influenced Schildhauer’s artistic journey.
Some capture images from an artist residency in Taos, New Mexico. Others depict settings from a five-week painting retreat in Galway on Ireland's western coast. In 2022, Schildhauer traveled to Crete, where she immersed herself in Greek culture while painting and reconnecting with family roots.
"My grandparents were both from Greece," she said.
Closer to home, many works reflect the beauty of Butte County's landscape.
"Some paintings are simply about love and life as I navigate this amazing and challenging life I get to live," she said.
That combination of geography, memory and emotion gives her work a deeply personal quality. A landscape may begin with a real place, yet evolve into something more reflective. A memory may take shape through a texture. A feeling may emerge through her use of color and shadow.
Schildhauer is an artist and educator who teaches at Butte College and Yuba Community College. Her textured paintings, along with her sculptural work, have been featured in galleries and collections throughout the United States and Northern Europe.
Art in the Everyday Setting
This exhibition continues the longstanding partnership between Plumas Bank and monca, which celebrates local and regional artists by inviting curated works into the Chico branch for community members to enjoy.
"Cynthia's artwork brings such a thoughtful and creative energy into our branch," said Ian Macmillan, branch manager at Plumas Bank in Chico. "We're honored to continue partnering with monca to highlight talented local artists and create opportunities for the community to experience art in an everyday setting."
Community members can view Schildhauer's artwork at Plumas Bank's Chico branch, located at 900 Mangrove Avenue. The exhibit will remain on display through September 2026 and can be viewed during regular branch hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The branch also permanently displays landscape prints on metal by Paradise artist Jeremy Vesely and an outdoor mural by Chico artist Dylan Tellesen.
As Schildhauer hopes visitors will discover, the most rewarding part of the experience may come from taking a second look.
"One thing that all the paintings have in common is the notion of layers and the fact that all things are deeper than they appear," Schildhauer said. "Like my artwork, there is always more to life than first appearances.
"Always look closer," she invited.
You are leaving Plumas Bank.
The website you are about to visit is not operated by Plumas Bank. Plumas Bank is not responsible for the availability or content of this website. The privacy and security policies of the site may differ from those practiced by Plumas Bank.
Selecting "Continue" will open a new browser window.