A native of Canada, Christine was drawn to the undeniable beauty of the New Mexico landscape when she came to live in Taos from 1999 to 2000, and began studying printmaking.
This pivotal event changed her creative trajectory, focusing on monotype—one-of-a-kind images created with ink on paper using an etching press. She continued with printmaking studies at the University of New Mexico, Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and the University of Minnesota at Duluth.
Represented in several private and corporate collections, Christine's work is also included in "Trail Guide: The Northland Experience through Poetry & Prints", "Response" Prints & Poetry by Calyx Press and "Dust & Fire: Annual Anthology of Women's Writings". She was awarded a residency at the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Red Wing, Minnesota, to develop works on paper using experimental printmaking techniques.
Lured by the inherent harmony found in nature, Christine’s images mirror what she sees living near the Rio Grande Valley and the places she travels to. Weathered cottonwood stumps, fallen leaves, reflections in the river, the radial symmetry of agave, all intrigue and act as inspiration.
Her work celebrates the sacredness and rhythms of the natural world. It describes the meeting between form and formlessness expressed though simple organic imagery.
Christine finds the land riddled with mystery and power, and she views it as a threshold to inner journeys of the soul. Her compositions are an exploration of ‘home’ ~ into sensations, ideas and feelings of one’s interior world through the observation and reverence of nature.
Art Open House at NMCC March 2, 2018
Artist Statement
Inspired by the inherent harmony found in nature, my work follows the metaphors and rhythms of the natural world. Whether it is the intricate architecture of seedpods or expansive vistas that move me, the resulting images are visual conversations between ideas, process and materials. I try to capture the essence of a place. It is the experience of being in places that stirs my heart to respond to and translate my impressions.
I focus on conveying the quality of light and mood, often depicting a definitive horizon line that draws the eye between earth and sky. At other times I am more attentive to the intimate world of natural textures found in bark, lichen, or stone, interpreting these as provocative organic shapes placed within an abstract matrix.
I love to explore the relationship between color and see what happens when they recede or advance, mix or separate.I follow the threads of possibilities that emerge layer by layer over many weeks with each piece, revealing and concealing elements. I am interested in how these layers transform, shape and alter one’s perceptions.
As an image-maker, I love recording the metaphorical connections created between the inner world of the heart and the outer landscape. My mediums of choice - monotype, collagraph, and woodcut, combine both painting and printmaking approaches which results in unique textures and surface treatments that have a distinct quality and appearance all their own.
My main focus is to articulate the essential elements, creating both meditative and engaging work while inviting the viewer to a deeper appreciation of nature in all her exquisite forms.
