Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristine Sundquist.
Hi Cristine, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My art journey started young, around the age of five. I was constantly drawing and painting everything I loved. This eventually lead to my first large residential commission when I was 17 for a prominent columnist in St. Louis. I went on to pursue a degree in Fine Art from the University of Kansas. It was a long and winding road to becoming a full-time professional painter. There were a couple of children and “art adjacent” careers along the way! Finally, in 2014, I discovered the magic and peace of the Kansas prairie. Painting it became my obsession, especially the sunsets and cloud shadows. I wanted everyone who viewed my work to feel what I felt when I experienced the glorious Kansas landscape. Soon, I was represented by galleries in Topeka and Manhattan, KS, and Pawhuska, OK. Acceptance to juried shows, art associations, and competitions became regular. By 2018, painting and teaching art workshops had become my full-time career.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth is definitely not the word I would I use to describe becoming or staying a professional artist. Self-employment is generally not easy, and artists have the added difficulty of relying on the disposable income of our clients and collectors. The economy and perception of the economy has a significant impact, as do the seasons. For me, the stress and worry over, “will this be the last thing I ever sell?!” just added to the drive I already had to not only survive financially as an artist, but thrive as well. I have learned over the years how to manage that. Discipline, consistency, a thick skin, and advertising are enormously helpful! Not to mention great artist friends, and just a sheer love of painting. I can’t “not do it.”
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Although I have a deep love for figurative work, the bulk of my work focuses on the landscape painted in oil on canvas. For years it’s been the Kansas Flint Hills, where you’ll find the best sunsets and the most beautiful grasses in the Midwest. Perhaps I’m biased. In 2022 I finally made it to The West where I fell in love again, this time with the mountains of Montana and Wyoming. I cried the first time I saw The Grand Tetons. I’m hooked. Something about the mountains felt like home, and yet it was all new – and my paintings definitely reflected that! Again, I was determined to convincingly paint that feeling, too. Something must be going right as I have sold several, and have a mountain piece currently showing in a National Juried Small Works show in Montana. Whew! With small pieces, you have very few strokes to say what you want to say. You can’t miss.
Based on feedback, I’d have to say I’m best known for the way I paint the light, as well as my sunsets and clouds. It’s a wonderful feeling when people come to me and say, “I can feel this painting. You captured the light perfectly,” or “This makes me remember my grandmother’s land.” Art connects us. It’s an honor to be able to contribute to that. These connections often lead to commission work and new students.
Art has also provided me with a connection to my own family. I’ve been able to build a career that allows me to work from home and be available to my children. They get to see the discipline, joy, struggles, and all that really goes into working for oneself, and I get the pleasure of the flexibility and working in the midst of their singing, studying, and playing instruments. They inspire and motivate me.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My advice for finding a mentor would be to study with artists that you admire, whose art and priorities align with yours. Join art organizations and plein air painting groups. For me, it evolved over time. A couple of kind souls sort of “took me in,” taught me, and encouraged me. I’m so very fortunate. I could go on and on about them! I do recommend paying for mentorship programs with professionals, as well. I try to find the ones who are fair and kind, yet don’t mince words. My goal is to improve, and that often means learning from several different artists. It’s important to attend some gallery shows, meet new artists, and support the ones we do know. This is a largely solitary profession, so I find it helpful to get out in the world as well as connecting through social media.
Pricing:
- Small works $300-$1200
- Medium works $1200-$3000
- Large work $3000-$6000
- Special Sales Periodically
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cristinesundquist.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristinesundquist
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/csundquist
