Christine Oliver

Christine Oliver

If art inspires, enraptures, confuses, or even stops you in your tracks, it does not matter; the point is that it creates a feeling, an emotion, and it gets your attention. As an artist, I only need to know what I am feeling as I create my work and if it surprises, awes, or even tickles you a bit, then it is probably doing its job and could be considered good art by those feeling the emotion.

A piece of art will not generate the same response or reaction in each person who views it. That is the beauty of art; it can be interpreted in multiple ways. The viewer brings his/her own filters – values, perspective, experiences, memories – which add personal meaning to the piece for that viewer. As an artist my goal is to open a window and let the viewer peek in.

Over the years I have continuously honed my skills and added techniques to broaden my expertise, range, and ability. There is humility in the search for "better" because it means constant and sometimes painful growth. Optimism underscores everything that I do and create. I look for the best in everyone and in every situation. This optimism is born of faith, and that is no small matter these days. Faith that life is good, people are honest, and things will work out for the better. Our view does not have to be dark to be important. Rather, having perspective about how life is or could be is just as valuable and seeing good has merit.

I paint with abandon so maybe that is what is important – abandoning oneself to the process, the place, and the specific point in time. The people who buy my work do not wish to be manipulated, impressed, or convinced. They just want me to open that window so they can see and judge for themselves.

From my earliest days, I have created. Nothing has brought me more joy, soothed my soul more, or enabled me to disappear for hours, than the art that I create; especially during the Covid pandemic. My art celebrates all aspects of life – the various cultures and countries to which I have traveled, local sites, scenes, and people I have encountered along the way, and the stunning landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes that make up this challenged planet. My watercolors are realistic and, while not photographic, they are a close representation of the subject matter. My mixed media pieces tell complex, layered stories about their subjects, whether its wildlife, exotic locations or imagined scenes.

Recently, I have been exploring acrylic abstract paintings, which are more difficult than one might think. They have to come from inside your very soul. You have to plumb your depths to discover who you really are as a painter. I find myself expressing a mood or an emotion or even just an intuition of what color to use, what shape to make or what mark will express what I am feeling. There are no guidelines, no rules and no boundaries which makes the exploration endless. Stay tuned for some of this new work.

I earned a BFA from the State University of New York at Binghamton, specializing in drawing, sculpture, and printmaking. I have a graphic design degree from Central Academy of Commercial Art in Cincinnati, Ohio and began painting watercolor and creating collage in 1996 after years in corporate life. My studio is in Sunnyvale, California. To see more of my work, go to www.ChristineOliverFineArt.com. Personal visits to my studio can be arranged by calling (408) 505-5766 or emailing me at christine.oliver@sbcglobal.net.

Email: christine.oliver@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.ChristineOliverFineArt.com
Instagram: christineoliver3588
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