Chris Everest
Growing up in Oregon City, I didn’t start out to be an artist although
I always enjoyed drawing as a child. Instead I trained to be a nurse
and worked as a Critical Care RN for 35 years while I raised my
family. Art began calling to me about 1999 when my nursing
supervisor offered to paint with me. We were the blind leading the
blind, but she had taken a few classes and subscribed to an artist
magazine so I thought she knew it all. I read the articles, watched
the noon art shows on TV on my days off and painted weekly with my
supervisor for years. Starting out using acrylic craft paint, I wasn’t having
much success but I was having fun and couldn’t get enough painting time
in. Each painting seemed to change like magic as I tried to add shadows
or highlights and I was fascinated by the potential on the blank canvas.
Slowly the paintings seemed to improve.
I eventually took classes from my mentor, Billy Beaulieu, and her great
class of cohorts. Billy persuades everyone to switch to oils, so I began
painting in oil….and I loved their ability to blend and the fact that the colors
didn’t change and darken like my acrylic paintings had. It seemed a very
forgiveable medium compared to the fast drying acrylics. I especially liked
painting people and with a big extended family and my camera in hand
there was always some picture I wanted to paint next. Painting from a
photo reference allows me to take my time since I am still fairly slow and I
can enjoy the process. By always planning the next picture, it allows me to
have a stopping point on painting the current one…..otherwise I just keep
painting details that are better left to the viewers imagination.
Over the years I have been fortunate enough to sell a fair amount of
paintings, gotten commissions from family, from the hospital I worked at
and from total strangers. I had paintings hanging in three restaurants at
once last fall, and have won a few ribbons at the NCAG Annual Fall
Shows, including my favorite which was the Peoples Choice Award in
2011. My niece allows me to hang work continually at her Serendipity
Restaurant in Warrenton, Or Thank goodness for her wall space because
my closets and the art room are full and I am still planning that next
painting.
I wish I had started art when I was young and could have been trained in
art history and techniques more in depth, but I loved having been a nurse
and wouldn’t give up my past life. Luckily the Art Guild fulfills that training
wish for me with their critiques, demos, and interaction with other artists.
***Chris lives and paints in Milwaukie, Or. and is available for commission
work.
Contact her via phone at 503-652-1243 or email Misscrunch@gmail.com
Additional works are viewable on facebook at ‘Christine Everest Oil
Painting’.
Click on a picture to see a larger image