Story Behind the Artist - Kristina Sellers
From small and whimsical to large and captivating canvases, the works and talents of Kristina Sellers run far and wide in the fine art category of oil paintings. Her style is inspired by French and Russian Impressionism with a very detailed touch and includes both landscapes, city scenes, and still life paintings, all teeming with emotion and thought.
While she has a love for travel, especially to her most inspirational place in Italy, Kristina is originally from the Northwestern United States in Portland, Oregon and lives there still to this day where she has been a full time painter since 2012. She has been an artist her entire life but, during the recession of 2008, she dove into her painting seriously and turned herself into the very talented artist she is today, training with some of the top artists in the country including Yer Za Vue, Jennifer, Diehl, Eric Jacobsen, Randall Sexton, and Sherrie McGraw.
Having competed in plein aire competitions (where artists gather outdoors to paint the natural scene in front of them) from California to New Jersey, she also got to experience painting “en plein aire” on the Amalfi Coast and in Rome. She tells us that painting full time has given her the gift of meeting many fascinating people along her journey including some of her closest friends. She can see how much art can be used as a force for good in this world and being able to share her work with others and encourage their own talent to grow has even been a source of goodness for her as well.
Kristina’s works are all inspired from places and things she has seen in her life and each piece holds a special place in her heart. “When someone views my art and it sparks a memory, I feel like I've had a shared experience with them.”
Oil painting itself dates back to the 15th century in Europe and offers painters, not only a textural variety in their work, but the ability to add on to a piece over time as oils take longer to dry than many other paint types. This allows the artist to feel where the painting is going, stop and make sure the outcome is what they want it to be, and then continue on in their own time instead of having to rush through before the paint dries. It was for this reason that oil painting actually became a favorite medium amongst painters by the 16th century, amongst which you can find the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo and, even later, Vincent Van Gogh.
Many artists paint from feeling and Kristina is no different as she paints to impart a special something in the viewers and buyers of her work. Her pieces focus on the humble beauty of the natural world and her desire is to bring as much attention to it as she can with each detailed stroke of her paintbrush. A single piece can tell an entire story and Kristina is honored to have been titled a visual storyteller because of her work.
**Editor’s note: This article was composed as a joint effort between the Made By Her staff and Kristina herself. Kristina does not currently have an online booth with us but you can find her on Instagram @kristinasellers.