About Kristen Colebank

I am a representational painter, usually working in watercolor, and my paintings are inspired by the overlooked edges of small towns, rural landscapes, and familiar items. Edges suggest boundaries and clear definitions, a language of dark and light patterns, but art and life teach us that many edges are subtle and ephemeral. Watercolor is ideal for exploring this tension as I juxtapose fluid washes, ripe with soft transitions, against sharp boundaries.

My studio paintings often use a tightly cropped and abstracted framework for representational subject matter, especially when I am painting streetscapes and buildings, and I use this framework to impose order and a visually pleasing balance to everyday and overlooked subjects. I also paint “en plein air,” and those paintings are less geometric than my studio work, feel spacious and atmospheric, and are lively remembrances of time spent on location with brush in hand. I want people to linger over my work and feel mild surprise when seeing commonplace elements and places presented in unexpected ways. I also hope that my paintings prompt viewers to reassess and find value in their personal environments.

Biography

I’m a native West Virginian from Preston County, but I’ve lived in Wardensville (Hardy County) for more than two decades. From the time I was a child, I loved art and drawing.

My primary medium is watercolor, and I’ve enjoyed learning from many watercolor masters in workshops, but I also have limited experience with oil, gouache, and linocuts.

I am a Signature Member of the West Virginia Watercolor Society, have won a Merit Award in the West Virginia Juried Biennial Exhibition, have had work accepted in regional and national exhibitions, and have exhibited in group and solo shows around the state and upper Shenandoah Valley. In 2024, I was selected as fellow in TFA’s Creative Entrepreneur Fellowship program.

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Other Creative Skills

Design Arts: Graphic Design