Artist of the Month March 2012

Kristina Zallinger

Hamden, Connecticut

I began taking classes as a teenager; life drawing and still life painting. My high school offered a full time art curriculum so I took advantage of that. I really always knew what or who I would be----an artist. After a sojourn at a liberal arts college where I took all the art courses available I transferred to Hartford Art School where I received my BFA. Two years out of undergraduate school I decided to live somewhere else but Connecticut and “saddled up my van” and headed to Montana! There I got my Master’s Degree. I was much influenced in my work with the environment and the art and culture of Native Americans. This appeared as a link to my creative process. After returning to Connecticut because of illness I spent a great deal of my time getting well. It was not until 2008 that I was able to become serious about my art again. I have been making up for lost time and VERY happy about it!

How and when did you start creating art?

My parents were both artists so I was encouraged to create at an early age. The environment was always filled with artistic excitement! My Mother was an illustrator of mostly children’s nature books and worked at home. My Dad painted the well-known dinosaur mural “The Age of Reptiles” which is found at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale in New Haven, CT. Incidentally all three siblings are artists: painters! How’s that for genetic intervention?

What media and genres do you work in?

I use mostly acrylic paint, in tubes or bottles or poured from my own receptacles. I like to paint with a house painting bristle brush, palette knife, my fingers and anything else that can be used to adhere paint to the surface of the canvas or paper. I also use mixed media: pencil, oil pastels and acrylic ink just to name a few. Kolor is my name, Abstract Expressionism is my game!

Who or what are your influences?

I see color everywhere throughout the day and am delighted at some of the combinations there are in flower gardens or even a pink mitten laying on a green coat with an orange scarf on a light blue bench. My influences as far as other artists is concerned are Kandinsky, Helen Frankenthaler, Hans Hoffman, Gorky, and Picasso whose productivity and ability to grow and change (like the Beatles) is a true master of the creative process.

"Little White Square" was one of the first paintings where I added a thin wash to the canvas. In itself the depth created is hard to define. I used the opaque colors and the hard edge shapes to make the viewer even more questioning as to where they are on the picture plane. Actually I don't "plan" my paintings. In this case the little white square was defined by my poetical approach to coming up with titles for my work! I didn't put it there, it just appeared!

Describe your creative process?

I set my canvas flat on a table or the floor. Then I begin to add a colored wash or sometimes spray paint which is one of my most recent techniques. From there I build up the surface with thin and thick paint which is poured from a jar or from a tube, etc. Tools such as brush and palette knife and fingers and hands do the rest of the work! I do not finish a painting in one setting. I don’t want to go too far with it (my artist Uncle used to call it “overcook”) I work for a while and then walk by the painting scrutinizing its development. Then I may only work five minutes and sometimes half an hour, repeating this process until the painting is done!

What are you working on currently?

Now, since I have been waiting for my new studio space to open up I am creating “pop-up” paintings with Bristol board, oil pastels, pencils, etc. at home.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

My ultimate goal since my illness subsided is to show in New York City, a dream of mine I know I will attain! When I get back into my studio I know I will “burst” into creativity and paintings will fly everywhere!

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

My website is kristinazallinger.com . I also have a slide show on Picasa. I am not sure how to make a link to it. If you are interested in my work and want to see more please email me at kristinazallinger@gmail.com and I will send the show to you.