Iridescent Light - Christine Olmstead

Iridescent Light

2019

This collection was inspired by a trip to Iceland. The colors in these works feature the amazing shades of blue, black lava, whites, greens, and golds present in the landscape. The iridescent material is representative of the changing magic colors of the Northern Lights.

Previous works

2020 Meditations

2019 Iridescent Light

2019 Breathing Room

2018 The Divide

2017 Meet Me in the Black & White

2017 Miscellaneous

2016 Blue & Gold

Gaslight 💡 Swipe to see them all. All 8 pieces

💡”Gaslight” my final series of 2020 is at t

🌝 50% off almost everything in the print shop n

I was about three years into my professional art p

I was about three years into my professional art practice when I was catching up with an old friend from high school. She said to me, “I’m so surprised you decided to do this art thing, I always thought you’d do something big and important with your life. You seem happy doing this though.” The implication being, that what I do, making art, is neither big, nor important.

I understand. I don’t save people’s lives. I’m not creating groundbreaking technologies; I’m not feeding tens of thousands of people. I’m not affecting policy that changes the systems in which people live.

My intention for “big and important” impact in people’s lives is more subversive than that. To unpack what I mean I have to tell you how I landed here making art.

I was graduating from a college that I did not want to go to, with a degree that I never had any intention of practicing. I was faced with the question, “what are you going to do now?” I know a lot of us have found ourselves there. There is so much pressure, or at least I felt so much pressure my entire life to work hard, get good grades, to be something great because so much has been invested in me. I felt so much pressure but I didn’t feel like I knew how to live. What was life without being a workaholic? What was a vacation without 3 college essays to write? What was summer break without 6 open electives to fill? What was a honeymoon without working on business content strategy? When I was graduating from college, the pressure was too great to answer, “what are you going to do now?” So I didn’t answer that question, the only question I could cope with answering was, “how do you want to live your life?”

That was a question I could answer. Click the link in my bio to discover the answer to this question and uncover my art making philosophy and business strategy that flows from it. #whymakeart

Last night’s panel discussion was showcasing the

Last night’s panel discussion was showcasing the 6th viewing room “The Surrender” from @latelacuratorial x @artsy Women in the Arts Online Exhibition.

Moderated by #MollieBergerSalah from National Gallery of Art @ngadc Mollie thank you for your thoughtful questions. You truly were able to pull together threads from all four of us artists featured in this room.

Marta & Helen, @martastaudinger @hdcriales it never ceases to amaze me how the two of you curate so excellently and thoughtfully. You are both so wise and discerning when selecting artwork from various artists that you’re able to see the throughlines and rich, overlapping and intertwined stories between all of us. You’re master weavers. Thank you both for the time, care and attention you pay artists.

My fellow artists on the panel
@alianagrace
@barbarajanuszkiewicz
@heatherlynnarts

Your words, stories, and works left me feeling warm, encouraged, excited, and at a loss for the talented women I’m honored to stand with. Your artworks as well as your practices are inspiring, beautiful, and meaningful. Thank you for sharing your stories and processes. I only wish this show was in the flesh so that I could admire your works in person and give you hugs.

For more programming surrounding this show be sure you’re following @latelacuratorial

#womeninthearts