About
Kris Andersen
Though I was born in Vancouver, I consider myself a mid-island girl. My creative parents encouraged me to explore many arts and crafts including formal art classes around at age of 10 focused on drawing and oil painting. My dad even made me a pochade box from an old record player. While my paintings were horrible, I did win awards for many years for my original posters to sell girl guide cookies.After completing a Masters Degree in Museum Studies in Toronto, I returned to the island to work as a museum curator. My work life has included the researching, developing and producing educational exhibitions, programs and publications. Only recently has my work moved me towards the visual arts. My work now focuses on developing cultural policy for the provincial government and coordinating loans for an art collection.
I jumped on the adult colouring book trend in 2015 to meditate on mandalas but quickly got bored of colouring someone else’s creations. With pencil and compass, I started creating my own circular works of art which I coloured with alcohol markers. Within a couple years I morphed into using water-based media.
While initially self taught, I have studied drawing with Jack Southern, watercolours with Joanne Thomsen and Wendy Welch as well as Chinese brush painting with Andy Lou. I am now trying out acrylics.
I find that I love the process of selecting a subject, studying it, observing the shapes, highlights and shadows. I love the challenge of sketching it in pencil and in a loose sketch before setting out to prepare the final work.
Active / Available
The ACT Art Centre
