About Christine
Art to Christine is about filling the spaces, experiencing the joy of creativity alongside her Creator in an immediate unconscious act of adoration. Primarily self-taught, she now lives and paints in the isolated countryside, 35kms from Wanganui where the unique beautiful landscape both inspire and give solace to a soul not at peace in a turbulent world.
Inspired by all the arts, especially painting, literature and music, it is the immediacy of drawing which allows her to respond to her subject in the spiritual and emotional realm she seeks, hoping to extract its essence, whether it be nude or landscape or interior.
Time is short, a mercurial being torn between art and writing, while living in the last days, she works best under pressure with a short lived fury and explosive drive, when her best works are born of an unconscious fusion of eye and hand with what seems like no thought at all.
Although reclusive in nature, and sidetracked by other personal ventures, including a menagerie of animals and livestock on the rural property with all that entails, she has managed to win several Regional & National Awards & built up a body of work which has had wide & varied appreciation & is featured in collections within N.Z & internationally.
Influences:
Vincent Van Gogh, Cezanne, Lautrec initially, but latterly friendships with N.Z artists such as Denis Knight Turner, Joanna Paul, Sylvia Meek & Paula McNeill have given great inspiration and aspiration.
Awards:
1997- First prize. Emerging Artist. Windsor Newton, New Zealand Artist Award.
1998- Winner. Open Class Award Portraiture 1998
1990 exhibits in Sargent Gallery Arts Review.
1990 - 1992 Owns & exhibits in 'Art's Spot' Gallery Wanganui.
1993 Class of 87 group exhibition.
1994 Norsewear Art Awards.
1997 selected Norsewear ART Awards, two pieces.
1997 Winner Emerging Artist Winsor & Newton Inaugural Art Awards.
1998 Save the Children Cards.
1998 Portrait winner final Ohakune Art Awards.
2001 Open Studios Life drawing group exhibition.
2003 selected Acadamy fine Arts, 2 works.
2004 selected Adams Portrature Awards.
2004-06 Owns & exhibits 'Vincent's Yellow House cafe & Gallery'.
2007 Exhibits at Rosso'sRestaurant, Cambridge.
2007 Solo at Diablo Restaurant @ Bar, Ponsonby Rd Auckland.
2007 Supa Nova Gallery, Gordonton.
2007 Cambridge Autum festival.
2011-13 Owns & exhibits Vincent’s Manaia & Gauguin’s Shells, Tairua
2012 Little Gallery. Tairua