Artist Statement
When it comes to painting, I consider myself first and foremost a storyteller.
From childhood, I’ve explored various outlets to express the ways that people and places have left their impression on me. Whether it was spontaneous songs describing my experience of nature while swinging in my backyard, or drawing the likeness of my best friend in between note-taking in class, or detailed recaps of my day when I got picked up from school, I felt compelled to create and express as a response to the world around me.
I believe that creating art goes a step beyond the receiving side of experiencing something or someone. It is a form of communication that says “I acknowledge you, I see you, I honor you” through the vulnerability of personal expression in art making. Most artists have a subject matter that evokes that creative response from them such as sprawling landscape, skies or the human figure. For me, it’s all about people and the context they live and breathe and move in— candid slices of life capturing the essence of people and the beauty I find in them, just as they are.
When I approach a painting, I do so out of my honest relationship to a subject matter. The history and context of a place matters to me. I prefer to observe and live as a real participant within that place, to better understand its significance, before creating art that represents it. When there are people involved, I love to invite them into the process, to share with them how they have impacted me and also give them a chance to bring deeper context to my understanding of their story.
Being a neighbor in the East End of Richmond since 2017, I must acknowledge the deep layers of history that form the current context of this specific place on Earth and the people who live here. As the urban landscape of the East End shifts under a wave of gentrification, I choose to center my art-making on acknowledging, honoring and preserving these slice of life moments made up of individuals and communities and the beautiful culture they create.
Bio
Christy grew up in the multi-cultural melting pot of South Florida where she was drawn to the arts from a young age. She explored various art forms including music, theater and visual art. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Directing at Palm Beach Atlantic University. During her final year at PBA, Christy studied drawing and painting under James Craft, an art professor who helped to further develop her skill and awakened a passion for painting. After graduating, Christy wrote and directed a social-justice driven play “Building 823", a walk-through live theatre experience bringing a fictional apartment building set in Belle Glade, Florida, to life for audience members.
In 2014, Christy married Derrick, a film grad, who introduced her to the art of film-making. The two, along with their 4 month old son, embarked on an 8 month journey to four different countries — Kenya, Haiti, Mexico and India — capturing stories of individuals on video. In early 2017, they returned to the States and moved to Richmond, Virginia, where they premiered their 45-minute documentary “Then Sings My Soul.”
Currently, Christy focuses her paintings on slice-of-life scenes and people around her neighborhood in the East End of Richmond. She hopes to collaborate more with her community, artists and non artists alike, through art-making. She dreams of one day empowering youth and adults with access to art-making outlets through which to use their voices and share their stories.