Christine Joy Swanson – Landscapes – Artist Portfolio Magazine

• Artist Portfolio Magazine – 2016 Landscapes Art Exhibition
• Christine Joy Swanson – West Linn, OR

Art is a reflection of life.
Just how seasons constantly change and evolve, so do our lives. There have been several key seasons in mine. Some are seasons of joy, sunshine and summer… others are dark, cold, long and winter. I paint all of the seasons in my work. While I enjoy some seasons better than others, I live through them all and that is mirrored in my artistic expression.
Every day we wake up and make a choice; joy or pain, freedom or slavery, light or darkness, beauty or mediocrity. Am I willing to choose to stand up for what is right, beautiful and good… It is a concept that has been ingrained in me. My middle name is Joy. The name isn’t an automatic and innately given characteristic, it is a choice. The only reason that I know how to paint is because of 14 years of sickness. I chose to get up every day and make the best of it. I used my time to learn how to paint. This ability has ultimately changed the entire course of my life. Now I am inseparable from my painting. If I am not creating, life isn’t quite as full. It is a piece of me, so is my Joy.
Often times, the most beautiful things come out of the most bleak situations. There is always room for redemption, and there is always room for joy.
My hope is that my paintings may share some of the joy we all strive for, in the journey through all the seasons of our lives.

– Christine Joy
Graduate of George Fox University in Fine Arts, 2014
Showing at Haystack Gallery in Cannon Beach OR