About the Artist

"Success, for me, is when my painting goes out & has its own relationship & conversation with the viewer.  Because watercolor is my medium of choice, I’ve learned to be comfortable with the unexpected and to celebrate the unique & magical characteristics of the medium.  As I see it, my job is simple - keep learning the visual language techniques, practice my observational skills & keep painting.  I have found my preference for “interesting” & “authentic” over “accurate” to be shared by many!"

Kristi doesn’t remember a time without art.  Her mother earned her degree in art/art education, so it was valued & encouraged.  Kristi graduated with a BFA from the University of Utah & was privileged to learn from many of Utah’s most famous & talented artists/instructors.  While attending the university she acquired several pieces from professors by trading student work and was selected on scholarship to attend Ed Maryon's Monterey Bay watercolor workshop.  She has been included in several national & international publications, has had the privilege of teaching a diverse array of artists in a variety of groups and exciting locations and has had her work included in innumerable juried national & international exhibitions, quite often also winning awards.

Although she got her start in oils, Kristi has focused on watercolors for more than twenty years now and admits to a bit of stubbornness in also shaping her desire to stick with the medium!   In her desire to “preach the gospel of watercolor,” she became involved in the Utah Watercolor Society, earning signature status and serving in all the top leadership roles.

Kristi’s work tends to be more impressionistic than realistic, being more concerned with mood, variety & the quality of paint.   The goal is to share the magic of watercolor with her viewer.   When deciding what to paint, shape patterns & rhythms take precedence over specific subject matter.   Kristi usually employs a full value range, so her watercolors have more “visual weight” than what is sometimes typical of the medium. 

        
 Kristi also holds signature status in the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (master), the National Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society, and the American Watercolor Society.  She’s a recovering “workshop junkie” and currently enjoys teaching her own workshops.