It’s been 10 years since Cedric Hustace first was featured in the pages of Evansville Living (“Artistic Attorney,” March/April 2002). A retired lawyer, an avid race walker, and a proven painter, the Hawaiian native also was featured in the magazine’s 2003 Best of Evansville as the Best Local Artist, and again in 2010 (“Race for the Thrill,” November/December) after a bad accident caused him to have double knee surgery.
Although he’s since toned down his race walking to a mild mile-and-a-half stroll each morning, he remains a constant in the art world. When he’s not traveling the globe with wife Carol, says Hustace, “I continue to paint madly away.” From paintings inspired by his many travels to artwork for the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra to designing T-shirts and posters for area events, Hustace’s goal is to “always try and paint the bright side of the world.”
Over the years, Hustace confirms that his style has stayed the same, although maybe more “refined.” Recently, Hustace completed a portrait of a Revolutionary War soldier that is part of his American Revolutionary War series for the Sons of the American Revolution.
For two months in 2011, Hustace was an artist in residence aboard the Oceania Cruises’ MS Marina. During his travels from Genoa, Italy, to San Francisco, the artist spent his time giving painting lessons to passengers aboard the ship, leaving little time for his own painting. Inspired by the rough seas of the Atlantic, he painted his impression of the seas once docked in the Canary Islands. His goal was to “capture the excitement and force of nature.”
While travel is one of Hustace’s major artistic themes, he also explores music in his artwork. Growing up, Hustace played instruments such as the ukulele, piano, guitar, and bass, and developed a natural fondness for the local Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, which is shown in the paintings he creates for the local nonprofit. At concerts, Hustace uses the programs to sketch his work during the show, and fills the drawing in with watercolor the next day. The program is then copied and signed prints are given to special guests of the Philharmonic.
“I value the fact that I’m still here,” Hustace says, “and that I’m able to be productive and keep a good outlook on life.”
