Artist Statement
I often paint figures who are transfixed and held by the natural world. My acrylic paintings are a mix of abstract and figurative elements, exploring my relationship with nature as it relates to the intersection of spirit, body and sense of place. I’m inspired by symbiotic relationships in ecosystems, finding them comforting as well as evidence of a sacredness that connects us all.
I start a new painting by sketching with thinned acrylic paint onto toned canvas, building up the form and light of each subject with a combination of transparent layering and thick brushstrokes. I edit and react with intuitive mark-making while relying on gathered photos as guides, combining nature-found color systems with dream inspired palettes and textures.
Line-work and colors from the initial painted sketch selectively show through in the completed painting, implying constant movement and spirit. My hope is to illustrate the life within each subject and highlight the otherworldly in ordinary moments.
Christina McLachlan (b. 1989) is an acrylic painter based in Bellingham, Washington. She was born in Finland while her mother was stationed in Moscow as a US Foreign Service Officer during the Soviet Union’s last years. Christina spent her childhood between the US and various countries overseas, including Kyrgyzstan and Australia. In every new place, nature became a common thread and guide to the world around her.
Christina received her BFA in Painting & Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012. She continued to live in Richmond, Virginia for over a decade, and spent her free time exploring the James River with friends, drawing in her sketchbook and becoming immersed in the local art and music scenes. By example of her community in Richmond, she came to know art as a device for hope, healing and mutual aid.
Moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2020, she’s since continued her art practice in her home studio, often painting figures entranced by spaces in nature. Christina loves animals and has been happily painting pet portraits since 2019.
McLachlan’s work has exhibited at multiple venues including Gallery 5 and Studio Two Three, in Richmond, VA; the 2018 and 2024 Radical Mycology Convergence in Mulino, OR; Dakota Gallery and Makeshift Artspace in Bellingham, WA, The Confluence Gallery in Twisp, WA, and Ghost Gallery and Magnuson Park Gallery in Seattle, WA.
For inquiries & Commissions please contact: c.mclachlan.arts@gmail.com