Feature of the Day #34: KrisBlues

It's Going to be a Good Day

Greetings!
Today's feature goes to Kristiana Pärn and her whimsical paintings.
Pärn is an Estonian born artist living and working in New York City. When she was 17, she began her art career studying with Estonian painter Marje Berlokko. After graduation, Pärn moved to New York City to study animation at The School of Visual Arts. Pärn has focused exclusively on illustration work since 2005, having started out as a textile designer for various Manhattan studios. In 2006, Pärn established her own studio in Brooklyn.
Pärn's work has been on display in books, magazines, on cards, and in countless shows all over the world. Her work is in Ark, An Illustrated Animal Bible(here), and Illusive #3. She also illustrated the cover of the fall issue of, Park Slope Reader Magazine. Her list of shows and exhibitions is far too long to put here but is, needless to say, quite impressive.

Good Egg

According to Pärn, her original paintings were, "created to study different techniques for making an impression of light and air. (The) background was created by applying colored pigment on damp board, then objects were drawn with sharp outlines and bright colors to create depth of field...Each piece starts with a bare wood panel, complete with random grain patterns and variations. This natural surface is then saturated with paint, both accentuating and obscuring these marks, in the process creating an atmosphere that is only partly my doing. Within, entire environments are created- trees, mountains, earth, light and air, as well as living creatures, both real and imagined. Often taking the forms of the northern forests of my youth, these scenes are places of great play and whimsy, where woodland animals inhabit the waking and dreaming worlds."
Pärn's work are whimsical and dreamlike. They invoke deep memories of gentle times and soft words. There is almost a sense of peace, gently stretching forth from each painting. Nothing bad could happen in the worlds she creates. The animals seem aware of this, and they allow the world around them to softly exist as they float through the serene and smooth colors.

Counting the Waves

The natural texture of the wood peeks through from time to time, and enhances the feeling of atmosphere. Shifting the paintings from ordinary, to something special and unique. A whole world existing on a single board. But this limited space doesn't seem to concern the world's inhabitants as they fit in comfortably without causing a sense of claustrophobia. Everything is as it should be. And perhaps if you just take a moment to look, you might start to feel that maybe things aren't as bad as you first thought. There is peace, and tranquility out there, and perhaps it might be okay to just close your eyes for a moment, and Count the Waves as they carry you along.
To see more than a 100 of Pärn's works, visit her Etsy store: www.etsy.com/shop/krisblues
For information about her upcoming shows, view her other mediums, and see her full artist history, visit: www.kristianaparn.com

Be Creative today!

~Squirrel Creek Creations

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