Featured Artist Christine Broersen

Pastel artist Christine Broersen presents a collection of still life paintings that capture subtleties of light and shadow. Visit her website to see more.

 

 

When I was young, I wanted to get married, be a mother, and become an artist. I am happy to say I achieved all three things—two marriages, five children and my art.

 

 

When my first two children started school, I found time to pick up a paintbrush and immerse myself in the fascinating hobby of oil painting. I say hobby, as that is what it was for quite some time. I made the odd sale here and there, but after becoming a sole parent it was necessary to earn a living, so my art took a back seat for many years.

 

 

After remarrying in 1987, I was privileged to be able to stay at home and re-start my love of art while raising three children. It was around 1993 that I was introduced to pastels. They have been my preferred medium ever since.

 

 

It is such an easy medium to use while raising a young family. There aren’t any messy clean-ups, and the ability to leave projects for days on end until the next time I could paint, is a bonus.

 

 

My main source of subjects were things I found around the house or picked up at thrift shops. Although I painted the occasional portrait, my still life in pastels started to emerge. Apples, apples, oranges, and more apples, became a recurring theme; there was always fruit in the bowl.

 

 

Every stroke of pastel was another step in the learning curve as I honed my skill.

 

 

Feeling somewhat isolated, I joined the local art society. It was there that I learned about regional art exhibitions. I began entering them, winning awards and selling my art. I am self-taught and never had a mentor to steer me in the right direction, so this was essential for me to gain confidence as an artist.

 

 

In 2007, I joined a couple of art societies in Melbourne, which is a two-hour drive from my home in Shepparton. After receiving many awards from these societies, I am now a signatory member of both.

 

 

I get so much enjoyment from creating my art. I love capturing the reflected light and the glow and gleam on the surface of metals, the transparency of glass, the folds of fabric and the subtle light in shadows.

 

 

I’m slowly but surely filling the walls of the beautiful heritage-listed Fortuna Villa in Bendigo, Victoria. It is a partnership made in heaven for me. At sixty-seven, I am only just beginning.

 

Artist Christine Broersen invites you to follow her on Facebook and YouTube.

 

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