That’s me, working on a pastel of a frog on a tulip.
Thanks for visiting my site!
In case you’re curious, here’s a bit more about me. I was born in The Netherlands, where I lived for the first 21 years of my life. Always having had an interest in all things creative, I studied to be an art teacher at Teacher’s College d’Witte Leli in Amsterdam (now part of the Amsterdam School of the Arts). However, no sooner had I completed my college degree, did I meet my future husband Brad and began my life as an expatriate.
Where I live
Having lived in Spain, The Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and visited many, many more countries, I currently call Bangkok my home, for a lot of the time. I also spend time in Canada near Toronto and in South Carolina’s Low Country (USA) area. So I guess you could say I am a bit of a nomad! 😉 Where’s my favourite place? Well, that’s hard to decide! They all have something beautiful, fun or inspiring.
Back to my creative roots…
After a hiatus of nearly 17 years, I returned to my creative roots when in 2011 I started, with partners, a jewellery business, Senzu Ltd. in Canada and Thailand.
Then a few years ago I began picking up my drawing pencils again, and found I am really drawn (pun intended!) to the medium of pastels. Currently I am experimenting mostly with hard and soft pastels, but because I believe that to develop as an artist, you must continue to learn and experimenting is a big part of that, you may see me ply other media as well.
I hope you enjoy my art, and it inspires you to think about its subject, the beauty of nature or just makes your day a little brighter. Please share your thoughts on my art and posts here in the comments, I welcome them! If you’d like to stay updated on any new paintings, exhibitions or events, please subscribe to my newsletter, and I also invite you to check out my page on Facebook!
Cristel.
Cristel is an active member of the following Artist Associations:
Art Associations
- Pastel Artists Canada. Founded in 1989, PastelArtists.Ca is a member society of the International Association of Pastel Societies and a sister society to PSEC, Pastel Artists of Eastern Canada. The aim is to promote public appreciation of the renaissance in Dry Pastel, to improve the skills of artists working in this fine art medium and to promote fellowship among pastel artists. To that end, we paint together, indoors and out.
- Southeastern Pastel Society. The Southeastern Pastel Society was established in 1987 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting pastel painting in the Southeast of the United States. It sponsors many opportunities for pastel artists through Juried Open International Exhibits, Member Exhibits, monthly meetings featuring demonstrations and other topics related to pastel, workshops conducted by master-level pastel artists, and the newsletter, the DustBuster, which features all kinds of information valuable to pastel artists.
- Beaufort Art Association. Chartered since 1957, the Beaufort Art Association’s mission is to encourage, support and provide opportunities for creative growth for its artist members, as well as contribute to the community with aesthetic and educational experiences in the visual arts. The BAA also has a lovely gallery showcasing its members’ art in downtown Beaufort, right on Bay Street, that you won’t want to miss if you’re in the area. You may even run into me volunteering at the gallery here!
- Photography Association of Beaufort. The Photography Club of Beaufort (PCoB) was formed in April of 2005 by a group of local photographers in Beaufort, South Carolina. Club members participate in club activities including workshops, photo critiques, competitions, and field trips. In addition, PCoB members actively participate in the community providing photography services to groups including Alzheimer Family Services of Beaufort, The Beaufort County Animal Shelter and families of deployed U.S. Marines.