Breaking Free

Kirsten’s love of art starts as early as she can remember, with an incessant need to wake up early and quietly create at the kitchen table while her family could sleep until at least sunrise. Although she wanted to take on an art career, being an English major, History minor and pursuing instrumental music qualifications for elementary school teaching seemed to be a secure career course and offered some degree of creativity. However, while on maternity leave in 2019, she decided to harness her artistic passion and focus her efforts on original oil paintings.

Kirsten has always had a deep appreciation for nature, whether it be plants or animals. She can usually be found outside gardening in the warmer half of the year and regularly adds to her houseplant collection. She knows firsthand how animals, especially pets, can offer comfort and comic relief with their remarkably individual personalities. As a music teacher, she also finds great wonder in the power of music and strives to incorporate that magic in her art.

A source of inspiration has always been her mother, a watercolour artist. After meeting her musician husband and having three wonderfully spirited boys, Kirsten finds herself in a space of endless possibility and creativity. She is currently homeschooling, teaching art, piano, and teaching in the public school system.

Most recently she has been exploring mixed media in combination with oil paints to delve deeper into Abstract Realism. The process of chaos moving into control has been exhilarating. She is continually developing her artistic skills while learning about herself throughout her practice.

Creating is a vital part of my existence and art allows me to connect with others through a broad range of entry points of both history and materials, specifically traditional oil paints and modern mixed media, abstraction, collage, and representational elements. My art encourages people to reflect on the things we have in common while acknowledging and embracing our unique stories and pasts.