OCR Text |
Show Expansive landscapes adorn KAC main gallery l Nun Chalut Although Larry and Sharlene Christensen are sensitive about having their paintings compared, they do admit their work hangs well together. "We both do landscapes, and 1 think they complement one another. But we are very different in our way of seeing things," explained Sharlene Shar-lene Christensen. whose water- colors, along with her husband's, are currently on display in the Main Gallery at the Kimball Art Center. To an unattuned eye. the expansive watercolor canvases of rural outdoor scenes do look as if they all could have been painted by the same artist-and the husband-and-wife team concedes that the comment has been made at several of their joint shows. ' , ... -VJ ,jmfi 'Zt 0 -I . c -M "But people who know our work can see the differences. You know, some peopie think we go out and paint together side by side But we don't, and even if we did the paintings would turn out very differently," said Sharlene. According to Larry Christensen his wife's paintings are more abstract. "I have a tendency to apply the paint and leave it alone while she uses more washes and layers." Both, however, prefer to paint on location. Whenever possible they pack up the camper and head across the countryside to paint. Several of the paintings in the exhibit represent stops on their most recent trip, through rural Tennessee to North Carolina. "I have actually worked in the rain a couple of times, but you can't always do that. The hardest is when the sun is so hot that it dries up the paints. "But when I can do a painting on location it usually turns out to be one of my best," Larry said. "The best part about painting on location is that you never forget the experience," said Sharlene, who packs along an old sleeping bag to kneel on while she is painting. "I even try to do my snow scenes on location. Snow is so difficult, you just can't do it well unless you are out in it." According to Sharlene, she has had horses looking over her shoulder and has been attacked by cows while trying to capture a particular scene. But, still, she tries to avoid working from photographs. W hen it is absolutely impossible to set up her easel on the scene, Sharlene makes a series of sketches to refresh her memory. "I think sketches are more personal," she said. Sharlene has been painting for 27 years. Although she is basically self taught, she said she has read everything she can get her hands on. She also dervies some of the inspiration for her paintings from poets such as Emerson, Thoreau and Emily Dickinson. Originally from Fountain Green, Utah, Sharlene now lives in Salt Lake where she and her husband maintain a working studio. Many of the larger canvases are completed there. She taught watercolor courses at the Salt Like Art Center for 12 years, but currently is taking a sabbatical from teaching in order to devote full time to painting and promoting her work and her husband's. According to Sharlene. both she and her husband rely on Windsor Newton paints and a variety of 100 percent rag papers. Different textured textur-ed papers give them more variety, she said. Both she and her husband mix their own green pigments from yellows and blues rather than using "tube greens" because they are so flat, she added. Another common question the talented duo often is asked is whether they met through their common interest in painting. "No. as a matter of fact Sharlene has been painting a lot longer than I have, and when we started dating I had no idea she was a painter," said Iiirry. who was a commercial artist for the telephone company in Salt Lake City when they met. After accompanying his wife on a few weekend painting outings, Larry realized painting whatever he wanted to was a lot more fun than putting together ads for the yellow pages. "When Istarted out it wasn't very serious, but I gradually became more interested," he said. But he continued with the phony company because income from their artwork was still unsteady. Finally the two established the Christensen Studio and decided to get serious about becoming professional artists. W hile Larry was still holding down a full time job Sharlene took on the duties of agent and bookkeeper. Larry established a five-year plan in the hopes that the combined income from sales of their artwork would sustain them. After working for the telephone company for 22 years he was finally able to leave to go into business for himself. "When you devote your total energy to something it is amazing what you can accomplish," he said. The end product of their devotion to painting and their sensitivity to the landscape surrounding them will be on exhibit at the Kimball through Nov. 29. ! y . , ' ' ! " tiWQtti.Wi '- V 'H"'-! "'h -v -A v:,, Jl , "v' . ' : V' ' X ; ; ... V 4 .1 V ' " 1 : : . r' ; f-v;. : j iff . . ,4( ;; : ..v..:.... V- ' ' ' v$ - ; u - V..'a -' r !-. photos by David Hampshire Larry Christensen Sharlene Christensen |