DPW Spotlight Interview: Kristine Kainer

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. To enter to win Kristine's painting "Avocado Halves" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Kristine's DPW Gallery Page:

As a child in a military family, I spent my formative years moving frequently along the Eastern Seaboard. I graduated from The College of William and Mary with a degree in Art History and high hopes. Unfortunately, job opportunities were few and unfulfilling. I returned to school, earned a Master’s degree from George Mason University, and began a career teaching mathematics in the northern Virginia area.

When an opportunity arose to buy my husband's grandfather's 1928 farm in rural Texas, we left the hustle and bustle of the Washington, DC area to experience a slower, calmer pace of life. During this time of semi-isolation and reflection, my creative spark was ignited in the form of painting. (click to read more)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

“Paint by Numbers” was my favorite gift during my early childhood.  I enjoyed organizing my little plastic containers and watching a piece of art magically appear at my will.  Eventually, though, I became bored with the lack of flexibility and focused on drawing, where I could be in total control and make all the decisions.



Avocado Halves
(click to view)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Kristine's interview.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

I never used a paintbrush again (except to paint rooms and furniture) for a few decades.  I was too busy teaching mathematics and raising my little family in the Washington, DC area.  It wasn’t until I moved to a small farm in Texas that time became available for artistic creativity.

Bay Oyster
(click to view)

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

Watercolors were my first medium.  They were relatively inexpensive (at least, the ones I purchased were!) and clean up was easy.  However, I did not like my options for framing them—mats, glass, the frame itself had to be ordered ready-made online and choices were limited. I switched to acrylics so that I could wire the stretched canvas and enjoy my work immediately.  Framing was then optional.
One day my world changed.  I took a 3-day group oil painting class—my first painting class ever—with an artist whose work I admired on eBay.  I purchased all the recommended oil paints and supplies and arrived ready to learn from her.  I was a human sponge.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

I use oils exclusively for my canvas pieces.  I also make Lazy Susans in which I start with acrylics, then add rich color and details with oils.



Bacon and Eggs
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

There is always more to learn with oils.  I seek to master them, knowing that it will never happen.  



Who or what inspires you most?

As an introvert, I spend a lot of time with my thoughts.  Being able to look beyond my inner world to really “see” what is around me and attempt to “capture” it on canvas is always inspirational. No matter how small or insignificant, it has some semblance of importance to someone.  I celebrate that. 



Crawfish Boil
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

There is no place for procrastination in my world.  When there are tasks to be accomplished, I prioritize them and work until each one is eliminated.  I actually experience a bit of an adrenaline rush as I go from task to task:  painting, marketing, shipping, entering juried exhibitions.  All are necessary and only I can accomplish them to my satisfaction.



How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I often paint food (especially eggs and oysters).  I am constantly taking reference photos and, if possible, paint from life.  Just eating is an inspiration.  Restaurants, supermarkets, and the beach are ideal locations for generating new subject matter.

Free at Last
(click to view)

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

Social media is changing the world. Trying to expose my art to others using marketing techniques that are new and constantly evolving is a daily challenge.  Social media though, has also become my new classroom.  I have learned so much from so many other artists through direct and indirect contacts -- just having their work at my fingertips on my smartphone, tablet, and computer and reading their comments has been invaluable to my growth as an artist.

What makes you happiest about your art?

When a client, admirer, or fellow artist praises my work, that adrenaline rush returns; it will never get old.

Thanks, Kristine!

© 2019 Sophie Marine