About Krista

Statement

My paintings are about my gratitude for nature. I take almost daily walks through my neighborhood and the mountains of central Virginia. I look at the gardens, shrubs, and trees in neighbor’s yards, at publicly maintained trails in the woods, and at my friend’s carefully curated wildflower meadow. I absorb and am soothed by the beauty and allure of nature. But I also question whose gardens are these? Humans don’t own nature as much as we stake our claim on plots of land. Humans can’t really control nature either, though we try. My favorite gardens are always the ones where the human who created it has lost control of it. The tangle of vines and sticks merge with flowers and grasses. The persistence of nature thrills and reassures me. In the end, she will win this game.

I believe that it’s not only our responsibility to tend to nature but our only option. On a personal and global level, working with nature is our path to longevity and survival. Not only does nature’s beauty bring personal joy and mental health, nature’s generosity feeds and supports physical health. To continue this symbiotic relationship, we have a responsibility to nurture her as much as she does us. And as I pause in awe and gratitude, I hope that my work encourages the same of my viewer.

On my walks, I document my experience with photography, then back in my studio, I put together compositions that explore these concepts. I find the most exciting part in a painting to be the dark recesses between the beautiful flowers or blades of grass. It’s not only where the painting begins by looking at the negative space between objects, but it’s the wonderment of what is in there. Whose home is that? Whose garden am I painting? I think about the ground and earth, the organic and inorganic that supports the lives of the plants, insects, birds, other mammals, and us.

My compositions focus closely on the plants and ground, zooming in on nature so that she dominates the canvas. I aim to demonstrate the power of nature to consume the space and continue to grow, to not be controlled. Nature pushes back and shows us that this garden does not belong to us.