"Cinzia" Bonada née Cynthia Boyd adopted the Italian pseudonym whilst dancing in Italy. She trained as a classical dancer at the Bush Davies School, East Grinstead winning the Adeline Genee Medal in 1955 before joining the Royal Ballet School. Was rather tall for ballet but happily danced on the continent for some years before meeting her future husband Johnny Bonada(Chef D'orchestre at Sporting Club, Monte Carlo).
She became a full time painter when the family(with addition of three children) Laura, Jenny and John came to live in England. Painted once a week with Charles Fowler in Richmond, undertaking many portrait commissions especially of children.
First painting accepted at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1975 'Le Petit Chalet '. She has exhibited with the RA, NEAC,RBA,RP, and the New Grafton Gallery.
She joined Peter Garrard's class at ILEA London and became a full member of the RBA in 1993. She is a founder member of the Small Paintings Group.
Her work is at present in Drapers' Hall London, Art Workers Guild(Portrait of Dennis Flanders RBA), Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club(Portrait of Sir John Hill FRS), Lampeter University of Wales, private collections in British Isles, USA, Canada, Iceland, Japan and the continent.
She does portraits, landscape and still life in oils and mixed media. Her work is influenced by Vuillard, Bonnard and Bernard Dunstan RA. In 2003 she had a solo show in Wings Restaurant Wigmore Hall and also at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. She has shown at the Affordable Art Show Olympia, Fine Art and Antique Exhibition, John Iddon Fine Art Show of Contemporary Art, Gallery 47, Great Russel Street and the Drawing Fair at the RCA. Her work was included in the Hunting Prizes, again at the RCA.
She has featured in the Artist Magazine, won first prize for Artistic Excellence from Chelsea and Westminster Arts Council two years running and appeared in Tom Coates' publication of portraits.
