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Introducing The Mintwood Art Shop!
We love art and are always looking for beautiful and original pieces. The Mintwood Art Shop is our curated collection of art hand-selected with you in mind. Each week we will introduce you to a new artist and give you a glimpse into the stories and inspiration behind their art.
Today, we're thrilled to introduce you to the phenomenally talented, Christine Berg, and share a little Q&A with the artist herself. Enjoy!
Where are you from?
My family and I live in historic Abingdon, Virginia, where I work and teach from my studio, located in a renovated, turn-of-the-century general store.
How would you describe your style of painting?
I'm a colourist and love to experiment with abstract expressionism, impressionism, Fauvism, and color field painting.
Your biggest inspirations? Your favorite artists?
If I had to pick, Monet, Matisse, Rothko, Frankenthaler, and Kahn are my favorite artists. I'm always studying their work. The landscapes, colors, and cultures of Appalachia are my primary inspirations. The mountains have long traditions, and though they are peaceful, they are always in motion. Never still.
Where does your passion for art come from?
I believe that it comes from God and from the joy and peace that He has placed inside me, which overflows into a passion for life and color and art. I work to interpret the world around me in terms of beauty, gladness, and praise, and it’s my hope that my paintings transmit those qualities as they move from my own hands into others.
Advice to other aspiring artists/creative students?
Study art in as many environments as possible, but don't impose too many rules on yourself. Painting should make your heart feel free. Be honest to that beauty pouring out from the inside and don't try to change it to fit the expectations or tastes of others.
What’s your favorite Mintwood Home product?
I love the gold giraffe!
What do you like to listen to while you're painting?
I'm fairly eclectic in my music tastes, so it usually just depends on my mood. In general, I paint to instrumental playlists on Pandora, Hillsong, and anything else that's cheerful.
Fill in the blank. Art is...
Essential.
Favorite art museum?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
What is your dream project?
A day of painting en plein air with Wolf Kahn.
Favorite or most inspirational place?
My family has a farm in Troutdale, Virginia, where I visit when I need inspiration or to feel refreshed. Half of the property is comprised of rolling fields, while the rest is a mountain flowing with creeks and springs. We call it Laurel Springs Farm, and it's my absolute favorite place to paint.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Just keep swimming.
Professionally, what’s your goal?
I'd like to earn the admiration of artists I respect. I'd like for my paintings to be a spot of joy in peoples' homes. I dream of having a painting in The Met's collection. If the MoMA and the National Gallery wanted to have a painting or two, that would also be ok with me.
