Artist Statement

As a self-taught artist, my creative process begins with curiosity—a drive to explore, experiment, and push the boundaries of what paint can do. I am not confined by traditional techniques or formal rules. Instead, I approach the canvas with spontaneity and intensity, allowing instinct to guide my hand. My process is swift, bold, and visceral.

I work in layers, using paint, chalk, pencil, and crayon—building, erasing, and reworking the surface to uncover something just beneath. Each addition and removal are part of a dialogue between control and chaos, presence and absence. Through this push and pull, I aim to create a sense of movement and transformation.

I invite viewers to engage not just with the final image, but with the traces of process that remain visible. In this way, the act of looking becomes its own discovery. The viewer unearths meaning through texture, gesture, and color—unmasking what color lays bare.

Biography

Terin Christensen is a painter whose work explores emotion through texture and color. Raised in California’s Bay Area, she grew up surrounded by creativity—her grandfather and mother, both artists, nurtured her artistic instincts from an early age. Visits to San Francisco museums left a lasting impression, with the works of Monet and Wyeth shaping her early sensibilities.

Although she began her college studies in art, Terin ultimately earned a marketing degree and spent years working in the nonprofit sector, managing events and fundraising for health-focused organizations. Still, her creative spirit remained constant, finding outlets in stained glass, photography, collage, greeting cards, and other artistic pursuits.

In 2019, Terin returned fully to visual art, discovering her voice in an abstract impressionist style using primarily acrylic paints. Her work continues to evolve as she pushes the boundaries of the medium, using expressive mark-making and layered surfaces to evoke deeply felt emotional experiences.

Email: Terinc@pacbell.net.  

Website: Terin-Christensen.com