Christina Ilene Thomas BIO

CHRISTINA ILENE THOMAS

Artist Statement

“Expansiveness, heart-centered generosity, spirituality, the inexpressible mystery of life, the paradoxical sense of joy and sadness. I hope that my work will elicit a range of emotions in the viewer, to touch or soften people’s lives in some way, no matter how small. My paintings change moods, just as we all do and as nature does. My intuitive, sensitive process takes time to fully express what the painting wishes to be, as I contemplate and listen to each piece. My landscapes are sometimes invitations to stillness and meditation, sometimes expressions of joy, sometimes of drama and mood. I create my titles in hopes that each piece will be further enhanced - the mood, the feeling of it. To me, the titles are just as important as the painting itself. I never paint using a photograph for reference. All of my paintings are painted by intuition and feeling my way along."

Christopher Foster, writer/author: "The paintings of Christina Ilene Thomas examine the ephemeral beauty and constant change of the outdoors. What is more, all who view her work are certain to find sparks of scenery familiar to everyone, yet we all see them a little differently. A waterfall or seascape, for example, will be recognizable in its essence, but nobody sees precisely the SAME waterfall or seascape. It’s like reading a timeless novel in which a character has certain aspects of appearance that everyone mentally pictures—broad shoulders, say, or bright blue eyes—but if that character were painted true to every reader’s imagination, none would be identical. It is the same with Thomas’s work. Occasionally, it even changes for the same viewer. It is this type of “imagination magic” that brings delight and satisfaction."

Bio

In 2007, when a serious illness resulted in a period of reflection, Christina picked up a paintbrush for the first time since childhood. Since then, she has studied with several instructors in San Diego, including the noted artists Pia Stern and American Master Hyacinthe Kuller Barron. Her spontaneous approach, experimenting with colors and textures and exploring the effects, allows each painting to unfold and evolve in its own way. Thereby, her contemplative, interior life is translated onto the canvas. As well as gracing private and corporate collections across the country, her work has also been used on four separate occasions for the cover art of the American Journal of Critical Care. In addition, she's had work featured in two issues of Pacific Magazine, and in both additions of San Diego’s juried national publication "50 to Watch.” Christina's work was selected by the Chief Curator of Saatchi Art Gallery twice, as a top pick of the week from among hundreds of thousands of art worldwide.

From January 2020 - February 2022, in partnership with 2 other local artists, Christina opened a gallery in Rosarito, Baja, Mexico. Christina's work can also be found on Saatchi Online.

Memberships
• 2015 Oceanside Museum of Art Artists Alliance
• 2015 San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild
• 2008 - 2011 San Diego Art Institute, Balboa Park

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