Not many people get to fulfill their dream job, especially two dream jobs, but that is exactly what Kristen Abbott has done. She is a full-time mom and artist, which were her two lifelong goals.
Kristen Abbott is a Conway native and graduate of the University of Central Arkansas who now lives in Denver, CO with her husband and two-year-old daughter, Ellington. She is currently staying home with her toddler and painting as close to full-time as possible.
“Learning to balance a growing career with being Ellington’s mom is a challenge every day, but one that I am so thankful to get the opportunity to tackle. Being a mom and an artist are both my dream jobs,” Kristen said.
Kristen started painting at a young age and won her first art award at the age of 13 at the Arkansas State Fair. Though it has definitely changed and evolved over the years, painting has been a constant in her life ever since.
She grew up painting with Nina Baker, whose work had an undeniable impact on the artist Kristen has become today. She learned how to step back, observe a painting as a whole, and make adjustments as needed from Nina. She gained a background in painterly landscapes and florals which now enlightens her work as an abstract artist.
“I have always had an innate desire to create beauty. There’s something so satisfying to me about the painting process that never grows old. Having art to hang on my walls and decorate my home has been a motivator for my practice since long before I even had my own home to decorate,” Kristen said.
Kristen’s favorite medium is acrylic with mixed media such as texture and vintage papers on canvas. Kristen sees beauty in the forgotten, and describes her own art as contemporary abstract. She aims to draw the viewer into an engaging, interesting experience while promoting a sense of introspection. She also hopes to invite reflection and inspiration through her use of color and textural layers.
“I love the beginning freshness of an empty canvas full of possibilities and the end result of creating something that I had envisioned in my mind’s eye,” Kristen said. “It is a fulfilling process to translate an abstract vision into a concrete painting. There’s something about the swish of a brush on canvas that I just can’t seem to stay away from for too long.”
Her art has evolved most notably in moving from representational art into abstract art. Finding her voice as an artist has been an organic process throughout her entire life.
“The more I paint, the more I discover what it is that truly interests me and what feels the most natural,” Kristen said. “For the past 5 years my work has been centered around exploring texture, more subdued color palettes, and incorporating vintage papers into my mixed media paintings.”
Kristen has been an artist with Art on the Green since 2016, creating both commission and retail paintings.