ART STORY: Brush Strokes Without Limits

Brush Strokes Without Limits

Artist: CHRISTA GRIMM
08.21.2013 – BY ELAINE NGO

“I watch the stream of color come off the brush, and see where I end up. I strive for my paintings to give the viewer the feeling of being there, present in these expansive healing environments of color and landscape.” – Christa Grimm

Imagine waking up every morning to the sight of an endless ocean and a cloudy overcast sky, the sound of gently crashing waves, and the smell of salt water. This is the sensory overload that artist Christa Grimm experiences every day. Christa is a Portland based artist who  has been with Art, etc. since 1992. Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Christa and discuss her latest work, painting style, and techniques.

             Artist, Christa Grimm Photo Sam Higgins

E: I understand that you have lived on the Oregon coast for the past four years. Has this changed the way you paint?

C: Living on the coast has changed the way I paint.The colors I see are different. In the winter it’s monochromatic. It’s usually the same three colors: grey, green, and blue. Living  here changes the way I think entirely. Instead of watching cars and people and timing your life with the fast pace of the city, I watch the speed of clouds and the storms that move across the landscape.

Artworks in her studio. Photo  by Christa Grimm

Photo  by Christa Grimm

Photo  by Christa Grimm

Christa Grimm in her studio.

E: I love your Road Trip sketches. They remind  me of how Baroque painters created watercolor sketches to prep for their paintings. Is this a technique you use in preparation for your paintings?

C: There are times when I don’t sketch in preparation for a painting, I dive right into using acrylics.  I love using Sharpie markers to chronicle my road trips, sometimes with watercolor and sometimes without.  I love road trips.  They have been part of my lifelong process as an artist.  My life is really chronicled through these sketches.

Road trip sketches. Photo taken by Christa Grimm

Road trip sketches.

Road trip sketches.

E: You have such a expressive style in your brush strokes. How did you come up with this style? Any key painters who inspire your work?

C: There are definitely artists who inspire my work; however, I am more interested in the quality of the brush strokes. Two experiences with paint impacted me. When I was young I loved the brush strokes from the old  grocery store advertisements. I was always amazed to see how the big brush strokes fit inside the letters. I always thought it was so beautiful. Later I used equipment enamel on a project for Old Wives’ Tales Restaurant. With equipment enamel when you use two colors  on your brush the colors separate and feather wonderfully.  Unfortunately I had to stop using it because it had too many fumes.  So now I try to achieve the same effect by using acrylics.

E: When working on a project for a client, how do you create a piece which fits what the client wants while maintaining  your artistic style?
C: I stay quiet as much as possible to hear what the client is thinking.  I take into account all the colors and textures in the area which can harmonize with what the clients wants.My goal is to weave all these elements together so that my mural will help the psyche of the viewer.

Pinocchio Restaurant.

Pinocchio Restaurant. Mural painted by Christa Grimm.

WillaKenzie Tasting Room.

E: Any upcoming projects or exhibitions coming soon?

C: I will be at the Sitka Invitational at the Forestry Center in November. I  recently put up a show at the Nehalem Beehive ! My next show will be entitled “Zion,” based on my trip through Utah this summer.