CHRISTINA GRACHEK | artist

Very soon I will be heading to Rome to attend a two-week “Painting Rome” plein air workshop and over the last several weeks I’ve been outdoors preparing for such an epic trip. In my prior post mentioned I’d be continuing outdoor painting with my U.go mini palette in my backyard. I decided my old backyard would be a good start. The following images are of my parent’s patio. Lucky me! I grew up there and witnessed the changes the small cement backyard underwent during my growin

Spring time is upon us. Reflecting back a few months, January in Scottsdale gave me a look into what’s to come for us in the PNW weather-wise. Seattle springs are when our lawns look their best and plans for outdoors are on everyone’s plate. Plein air painting has finally taken its hold on me after years of neglect. I’m a “one trick pony” when it comes to the processes of those indoor-only disciplines that give me ultimate satisfaction. One thing at a time, that’s me in a nut

Last Fall, I attended another workshop on Whidbey Island and enjoyed my time with Zoey Frank. As you can tell, I really like it there (on Whidbey). Excited to paint with Zoey, I found her enthusiasm of the contemporary realists refreshing and her teachings were similar to Kimberly Trowbridge. We were enthralled by Zoey’s historic slideshows, the group banter and of course her very own creations. Zoey addressed the emotional side of the still life and different approaches to s

Since my last post it’s been a whirlwind. Our son had a BIG successful surgery. After healing time, I attended a fantastic painting interiors workshop on Whidbey Island. I always enjoy my brief getaways/boot camps that require a ferry ride to Whidbey and corresponding Airbnb stays for three-to-four days. Cary and Sieb Jurriaans of Whidbey Island Fine Arts Studio are great hosts. Kenny Harris was our instructor and I learned how graying things down make for a nice neutral pain

Most of my summer has been spent outside of my studio but I did manage to – sell a small painting, receive an honorable mention and gain a few commissions related to the nostalgic theme that I’ve been exploring. I have also been slowly considering (again, summer) the best way to complete the above painting. As a follow up on this painting (see prior blog post), I’ve determined that things did not come out as muted as I had hoped but I am not even slightly disappointed. I made

Fall has brought me back to atelier work at Gage South, aggressively going after the figure, but this non-figurative series has held my attention. I spent July and August working on the painted Flicker series. Two of the five in the series were completed toward the end of the inaugural term in the Trowbridge Atelier. Here are some of the new pieces in progress: Back in Feb 2016, Kimberly Trowbridge held a lecture on Henri Matisse and an “open window” image from her slide show

I wanted to share some photos from the group show that opened on Friday, April 15, 2016.  Thanks  to all who came to see the show and visited with me. The show consists of my own works alongside fellow Trowbridge Atelier classmates, as well as an additional 16 students from the Studio Arts Intensive program at Gage Academy of Art in Seattle.  It’s the first of many group Atelier shows to cap off the progress of each program.  This is a very strong show (I know, I am biased),

Over the last month-and-a-half, I began a new body of work. Two paintings are completed so far, and more are in the works. This post highlights the two completed paintings. Below are photos of the paintings that begin the Flicker series.  Remember, the inspiration of this work was the Flicker collage piece.  I decided to keep the narrative going with the timeline and clothes-pinned imagery “flickering” across the canvas. These are so fun to create.  My next blog discuss the p