June Artist Spotlight
Meet Theresa Christopher
WSA Member Since 2017
When did you start making art?
I do not remember exactly when I started making art. It seems art was always there. Sometimes in Elementary School, friends would ask me when I had time to do “that,” “that” being when I painted a book of wildflowers and a year later, a book of birds. These were not assigned projects. I created them for fun, and later they proved handy when I needed to embellish a science project. Art was my hobby.
What type of art attracts you?
I gravitate to plein air painting in acrylics, which brings me close to nature. I like being outdoors early in the day. Capturing natural light and contrasting shadow by utilizing the value of other colors in the piece is a worthy challenge. Fifty percent of the time I will complete a painting in a session; other times I sketch in paint, take a photo and finish in the studio. Either way, capturing the ambience and rendering an image is satisfying. Even better is conveying the feeling you captured so that others may see and feel it too.
Where do you find inspiration?
For me, nature provides the ultimate inspiration for creating art. It provides fresh compositions every time.
In retirement, I have had the luxury of travelling and learning how I see the world. These discoveries inspire me to experiment with new ideas and media. I’ve travelled to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, where for the first time I sketched historic architecture a la prima utilizing a micron pen. For two consecutive years I was the director’s guest at Civitella Ranieri in Umbria, Italy, where with other guests we painted plein air in acrylics and watercolor half the day and visited sites the other half. As a result, we were inspired by viewing most of the original frescoes and paintings of Piero de la Francesca.
What does art mean to you?
For me, art is relaxing and stimulating at once. It provides the camaraderie of artist friends. Whether in the studio or via Zoom, art friends are supportive and enjoy discussing and making art together. Each time I view another’s art, visit a museum, attend an art demonstration or put a graphite pencil to paper, I learn something. In addition to enjoying and creating art with friends, a best day might include painting a marsh from an overlook in Hingham, working in my studio or taking a portraiture class. What a hobby!