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BIO
Francene Christianson’s early career in advertising and graphic design included art direction for renowned creative agencies in New York and Los Angeles. After her commercial career, she returned to oil painting. Her figures, landscapes and commissioned works have been exhibited and sold at Veronique Wantz Gallery (Minneapolis), Kickernick Gallery (Minneapolis), Chloe Gallery (San Francisco), Gallery Orange (New Orleans), The Grand Hand Gallery (St. Paul), and Minnetonka Center for the Arts. Her paintings have been placed in private collections across the country.
Artist Statement
I paint people and places that remind me of important times in my life. While these moments are transitory, painting lets me create a lasting memento of an otherwise passing view. Drawing inspiration from both old family photos and life unfolding around me now, I aim to blend mid-century images with a modern context.
I am always looking for the stories of a place and have been lucky enough to experience many different stories. Southern California to New York, Minneapolis to Dallas--each place introduced me to new perspectives and diverse communities of artists that drove my work in new, bolder directions. This includes a strong focus on light, color, and composition of the changing natural world.
Little About Francene
What’s something people don’t know about you, or would be surprised to learn about you?
I love to read, and I especially love to listen to books while I paint.
What song/album/artist is currently on repeat in your studio?
My musical tastes are varied, but I especially love music from the 60s and 70s.
When is your favorite time to create?
Later in the day. It feels like it takes the whole day of painting to get in the zone, and then it’s like magic.
What is your guilty pleasure tv show or movie?
‘The Godfather’ …not the Mafia, but the family and the music as it reminds me of my Sicilian family.
What is an unusual skill you have outside of art?
I love to cook!
If you weren’t an artist, what would you love to be doing?
I would love to be outside gardening all the time.
What’s your biggest artistic obsession right now?
Finding more time to paint.
What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve used in an artwork?
My heart.
What was your first creative memory, or a specific artistic moment that made you realize,“I really want to do this?”
The feeling I had when my first painting sold through a gallery
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Inglewood, California, then Westminster and Long Beach.
Who are your artistic influences or mentors?
Wayne Thiebaud, Richard Diebenkorn, Alex Katz and Edward Hopper
If your art had a personality, how would you describe it?
Curious, emotional and a little restless.
How would you describe your style to someone unfamiliar with your work?
Contemporary realism
What color do you use most, and why?
I don’t use just one color the most, but my favorites are, cobalt turquoise, cadmium red light, green gold and periwinkle. I like the way they work together on the canvas.