Jennifer McChristian
California painter Jennifer McChristian always knew she would be an artist. She grew up in Montreal, where she began her art education at Dawson's College. Later, after moving to Los Angeles with her family, she graduated with honors from Otis-Parsons Art Institute.
After eight years as a full-time animation artist, she turned to painting (primarily plein air) and has won a long string of awards. Her confident brushstrokes and dramatic compositions make fine art out of everyday scenes.
She employs contrasts in value, paint thickness and color temperature to add complexity to mundane subjects. An orange undertone creates unity and vibrancy as it shimmers through the predominantly cool colors of a landscape or city-scape. The 10x8 painting above is entitled Rue Saint Antoine.
She is affiliated with Oil Painters of America, the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, and Plein Air Painters of the West, of which she is a founding member. In addition to ongoing figure drawing workshops, she has two plein air workshops currently available: one at Esalen Institute August 28-September 2, and one in Tuscany in September 2012. Students of all levels are welcome.
“Plein-air painting is somewhat of a spiritual experience for me. Although challenging at times, the end result evokes within me a sense of elation, nostalgia and harmony”.
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