In the quiet moments between heartbeats, Cindy Berceli finds the sacred. As a Pittsburgh-based pastel artist, she captures something beyond mere likeness—the luminous thread that connects us all through the eyes of animals and children.
Her journey began as a pediatric nurse, where she learned to read the unspoken language of vulnerability and find connection in silence. This profound ability to commune with the nonverbal world became the cornerstone of her artistic vision. Each painting emerges from deep listening, where the soul of her subject whispers its truth through expressive eyes.
Working with pastels feels magical to Cindy—their dusty, ephemeral nature mirrors the fleeting moments she seeks to preserve. In her hands, pastels become conduits for connection, capturing the profound and sometimes quirky personalities that emerge from her paintings. Her subjects arrive from every corner of our shared planet, becoming ambassadors of our interconnected existence through her realistic yet deeply emotional portrayals.
Recognition has followed naturally from this authentic expression, including partnerships with Forever Caroline and CCP Bass Wolfson Pediatrics, where her enlarged animal paintings create healing sanctuaries for children. Though self-taught, she has studied with masters like Harley Brown and Bettina Steinke. Her achievements include membership in the Pastel Society of America, National Association of Women Artists, American Artists Professional League, Artists for Conservation, and inclusion in Who's Who in American Art.
Through her paintings, Cindy creates bridges between viewer and subject, between human and animal, between the everyday and the divine. True to her nursing heart, she donates portions of every sale to organizations supporting animal welfare and children's health, ensuring her art continues its mission of connection and care long after it leaves her studio.
In Cindy Berceli's world, every eye holds a universe, every gaze an invitation to remember what it means to be truly alive and connected to something greater than ourselves.
A portion of every sale is donated to non-profits dedicated to children's health or animal causes.
Highlights
- In 2025 Cindy was honored to be asked to teach a 2 Day Pastel Animal Workshop for the PPAL. Cindy continues to teach Pastel Classes at Greensburg Art Center, spring and fall sessions each year.
- In 2024 she was invited to share my animal images with Forever Caroline, a company created to showcase the work of Appalachian artists and promote the power of handwritten notes and letters.
- The connection between Art, Healing and Public Health: Many benefits have been discovered.
- In 2019 Cindy embarked on a project with UPMC CCP Bass Wolfson Pediatrics Squirrel Hill office where they selected twenty-one of my animal paintings to be enlarged and placed on walls in the exam rooms and throughout their office.
- In 2023 this exciting project was repeated with the UPMC CCP Bass Wolfson Pediatrics office located in Cranberry.
- In 1996-97 Cindy was honored to have her artwork on a Program Cover for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, celebrating their 25th Anniversary in Heinz Hall.