Cindy Kahler Thomas was born August 3, 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father was in the Air Force, and Cindy and her family moved frequently. They ended up in Burkburnett, Texas, where her father retired.

Cindy was always interested in art. As a child she kept a portfolio of her work, which she would show to anyone that would look at it. Art classes were always her favorite in school. One of her greatest influences was her 9th grade art teacher, Barbra Bean.

Cindy then pursued other things and her art fell by the wayside. But her chosen profession was cosmetology. Through this she was able to have a creative outlet working with the three dimensional aspect of doing hair.

However, in college, she studied photography and found a new love in the darkroom. Photography was the class that she studied most diligently. Gary Goldberg taught the class, and was a huge influence. Despite not being an art major, she received and A in the class and was invited to display her photography in the Spring Show of that year.

Unfortunately, Cindy was diagnosed with bipolar, and was plagued by depression. During one of her lowest times, her best friend, Marsh Wright-Reeves, taught her how to make stained glass mosaics. Cindy’s first piece was appropriately titled Broken Woman. Using this technique Cindy now can express herself artistically. Both her heart and her head now can speak out to the world.

Cindy’s life has dramatically changed from those days. Part of her past problems were caused by her alcoholism a drug addiction, but she is now in recovery, and will celebrate 7 years of being clean and sober in April.

She is now married to a wonderful man for almost 5 years and is extremely proud of her 3 children and 4 grandchildren, and is ecstatic about the newest addition of her grandson to the family.

Cindy now pursues her art and is a journalist for a local newspaper. She now longer has access to her beloved dark room, but hasn’t given up on photography. For now it just has to wait, but she is beginning to explore the possibilities of digital photography.