Meet Kristi Beattie | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristi Beattie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristi, why did you pursue a creative career?
After spending 20 years in facilities space planning, I craved to be more creative. I received a degree in interior design because I thought I would be able to be creative and have a stable career. However, I found myself very far from using any creativity. It took quite some time to remember that my original childhood dream was to paint… to be an artist. I couldn’t deny the yearning any longer….At the age of 41, I decided to quit my 20-year career and pursue painting. Since I can remember, I’ve been creating with my hands from drawing, gardening, cooking, glass art and candle making. I had this pull to create from a young age. This definitely came from my mother, as she was an artist and maker and was always fostering our creativity.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
From the creamsicle sunsets on St George Island to camping along the river in the mountains of Colorado to hiking the red rocks of Moab… my work is innately born from my travels and experiences in nature. Carrying along my sketchbook and sharpies, I travel with my family in our vintage airstream across the country visiting new places. My goal is to capture the essence in quick gestural sketches. These sketches are the foundation of new abstract and landscape paintings.

I capture the memories of these new experiences and places using earthy grounding colors and compelling composition. And just as nature, I balance the unsaturated colors with touches of bright saturated colors. The push and pull between these forces are what excites me about painting.
For me creating art is spiritual and therapeutic and helps me feel connected to myself, God and nature.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I would have to say visit my favorite boutique furniture store in Washington Park, Corduroy. I might be a little biased because my art is hanging there. LOL! I would also have to say I would take them to the mountains because to me Colorado nature is the best thing to do.
We have to stop at the Famer’s market in Boulder, by far the best I’ve ever seen, and then head up the Boulder Canyon for a hike in Betasso Preserve.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My mother hands down wins this dedication. To be honest, writing about my mother brings up a lot of emotion. When I reflect on my childhood, I see her creativity was how she lived her life not just something she did on the side. I think that’s why her creativity made such a huge impact on me.

She passed away in 2020 from pancreatic cancer and never got the chance to see me be an artist. But I know that her spirit lives on within me as I am an artist like she was and really, it’s all because of her fostering my creativity as a child. So, to follow in her footsteps is the best way to honor her memory.

Website: www.kristibeattie.com

Instagram: @kristi_beattie_

Facebook: Kristi Beattie Art

Image Credits
Kristi Beattie