Joyful and energetic abstracts from the West Coast
Christy Sverre paints in a playful manner using vibrant colours and bold lines. Her paintings are a lively and uplifting portrayal of coastal scenes from the West Coast where she sails her boat, Take Five. Gathering information on her outings on the sea, she observes and records the shapes that inspire her. These sketches are brought back to her studio and she lets her imagination take over from there. Her work brings a cheerful and energetic look at the west coast tradition of sailing.
Sverre has a degree in Fine Art and has studied with many artists over the years. She sees most of her development as the product of consistent hard work. She has been profoundly influenced by her experiences living in other cultures, whose symbols and icons frequently make their way into her art.
With a broad palette, Sverre notes that acrylic is her preferred medium and her diverse tools range from paintbrushes to scrapers. Working in multi layers with vigorous marks she draws from her experiences and intuition to guide her artwork to completion.
"I've always been intrigued by the feeling of expansion. I work from chaos to order, from entrapment to freedom and confusion to clarity; all expansive feelings to me. The chaos I find in marinas and gardens serve most of my inspiration. Boats, rigging, sails, and hulls turn into vibrant and uplifting abstract coastal scenes. The tangled branches and stems of a garden or floral arrangement are released allowing escapism and breath. Balancing between representation and abstraction I paint with creative abandonment, intuition and a love of colour."
Sverre works from her studio and gallery overlooking Gibson's harbour on Canada’s west coast.
Her works are found in many private collections.
