James C. Christensen |
Cassandra
Barney |
Emily McPhie
Saturday, October 17, 2009
6-8pm
The Greenwich Workshop Gallery at Seymour
Seymour, CT
On this page: Artist Bios | Video | Images | Links
Inspired by the world's myths, fables and tales of imagination, James C. Christensen wants his work to add up to more than a beautiful - if sometimes "curious" looking work of art. Having taught art professionally for over 20 years, he likes to think of the world as his classroom. His hope is that through whatever he creates-be it a porcelain, fine art print or book-he can convey a message, inspiration or a simple laugh. He believes that teaching people to use their imagination helps us find solutions to sooth the stresses of everyday life-or get a little lift to help us keep going. In short: all things are possible when you share Christensen's philosophy that "Believing is Seeing."
Christensen was born in 1942 and raised in Culver City, California. He studied painting at Brigham Young University and, for a while, the University of California at Los Angeles before finishing his formal education at BYU. Since then, he has had one-man shows in the West and the Northeast and his work is prized in collections throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Christensen has also won all the professional art honors the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention can bestow, as well as multiple Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. Christensen has been designated as a “Utah Art Treasure,” one of Utah’s Top 100 Artists by the Springville Museum of Art and received the Governor’s Award for Art awarded by the Utah Arts Council recognizing the significance of Christensen’s artwork to Utah’s cultural communities. He was inducted into the U.S. Art magazine’s Hall of Fame and is an Honored Alumnus at Brigham Young University for his contributions to fine art and education. James and his wife Carole, co-chair the Mormon Arts Foundation. He is a frequent guest lecturer at Brigham Young University, and has also given workshops to large companies and organizations on the subject of creative thinking, including the California Art Educator’s Association, Hallmark and Intermountain Health Care.
In addition to his fine art limited editions on paper and canvas, Christensen’s work can be found in five acclaimed books and a series of interactive journals, and in three dimensions in porcelain and hand-crafted, limited-edition bronze sculptures.
James C. Christensen: Headshot | Fine Art Editions Portfolio
Cassandra Barney was born and raised in Orem, Utah. She received her Master’s degree in Fine Arts from Brigham Young University in 2000. “I've had a passion for the craft of the portrait since I was a child. As a young girl, I visited museums around the world with my father, collecting postcards adorned with 16th century art. Exploring these simple images captured my imagination, unlocking a world of discovery. I love the art of storytelling, the layers of symbolism, and would create my own stories for these quiet women, making the paintings my own. Today I paint portraits that share my passion for storytelling while revealing my personal journey of transition and discovery.”
Barney’s images capture the souls of heroines, everyday women who have found strength and personal victory in their diverse experiences. Her portraits carry a range of emotion reflective of the events that have shaped their character. Ambiguous and poignant, Cassandra’s women find strength in their femininity. “They are beautiful and strong, because of the complexity of their feminine nature.”
“My portraits may not always feature the outwardly pretty or majestic, but they all share a quiet beauty that asks us to listen and to feel. My work reflects my personal narrative, yet my intent as an artist is to create an experience that will allow the viewers to bring new interpretations to the symbols, creating their own narrative and own sense of understanding and place.”
Barney, her father, James C. Christensen, and her sister Emily McPhie delight in working together. “My dad inspires me to experiment with my own style, media and interpretation. Painting together in his studio, the three of us have developed a wonderful synergy, critiquing and encouraging each other to experiment with colors, surfaces and textures.”
Life is truly art at Barney’s home. Her husband is also an artist and teacher. Their three daughters enjoy creating alongside their parents. In addition to her children, Barney encourages many others to explore the world of art through education. She has taught at The Waterford School and Brigham Young University, where she is currently part-time faculty.
Cassandra Barney: Headshot | Fine Art Editions Portfolio
Emily Christensen McPhie was born in Utah in 1978 into the highly-artistic Christensen family. As a child, she toured the museums of the United States and Europe with her family. At each museum, Emily and her brothers and sisters were told they could choose a postcard as a souvenir, and young Emily's postcard collection quickly filled with early American portraits and Degas' studies of young dancers. The influence of these museum trips is apparent in Emily's portfolio of paintings.
Growing up, the pursuit of art was second-nature for McPhie, who went on to win awards for art in high school and beyond. Emily graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with an emphasis in painting.
Emily currently resides in Chandler, Arizona with her husband Gavin and daughters Cordelia Lavender, Clover Iona and Ezra Petunia. "Motherhood has brought out some pretty strong emotions and ideas," says McPhie. "Translating those thoughts and emotions into images gives me clarity, and I find I want to document them before my perception changes." Her daughters show every sign of following in their mother's footsteps. "Half my studio is theirs," she laughs. "They have their table and their easel and all their supplies. I find that they're in here even when I'm not. They just love it - they're very creative."
Emily McPhie: Emily McPhie | Fine Art Editions Portfolio
James C. Christensen:
The Art of Family
3:00 | play
Other Videos:
James C. Christensen
on Hold to the Rod, the Iron Rod
James C. Christensen
on The Blind Leading the Blind
James C. Christensen on The Enoch Altarpiece
The Bronze Sculptures of James C. Christensen
Cassandra Barney on Blossoms of Change Quartet
Emily McPhie on Inspiration and Delia's Dreams
Emily McPhie on Knowledge of Good and Evil
Group Shot
(L to R:) Emily McPhie, James C. Christensen and Cassandra Barney
Headshots
- James C. Christensen
- Cassandra Barney
- Emily McPhie
Artwork
- Angel Unaware by James C. Christensen
- Title by Cassandra Barney
- Village of Devotion by Emily McPhie
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