Photo by Abby Greenawalt

Bio
Christina Batipps’ work explores the impact of the climate crisis on the life cycles of certain plant and animal species as well as the impact of these changes on our routines year after year. She uses her paintbrush to talk about climate change on a broad level with a focus on the value, habits, functions, and beauty of specific species. 
Christina's work is largely representational, but she usually incorporates elements of abstraction. She creates drawings, paintings, and mixed media pieces. When developing paintings, she tends to create on a larger scale with a wide range of loose motions. Her drawings and mixed media works are smaller, controlled, and more precise. 
Residing in the Washington, DC area, Christina has exhibited her work throughout the United States, at the US Embassy in Costa Rica, and at the Camac Centre D’art in France. She was a 2018 Artist-in-Residence at Azule in North Carolina and Arts, Letters & Numbers in upstate New York. Christina holds an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art. 
Artist Statement
Spending time in nature has been a lifelong commitment. My work explores the impact of the climate crisis on the life cycles of certain plant and animal species as well as the impact of these changes on our routines year after year. I use my paintbrush to talk about climate change on a broad level with a focus on the value, habits, functions, and beauty of specific species. 
I consider my work to be representational, but I usually incorporate elements of abstraction. I create drawings, paintings, and mixed media pieces. When developing paintings, I tend to create on a larger scale with a wide range of loose motions. My drawings and mixed media works are smaller, controlled, and more precise. My art features images of flowers and plant species as well as figurative narratives reflective of the Art Nouveau period.
My interest in nature led to a fascination with Art Nouveau. Art from this movement often incorporates designs, shapes, and imagery found in nature, such as representations of insects, plants, and flowers. I feel a connection to the fluid lines and movement that characterize this genre and weave them into my work.
I start every piece by creating a layer of lines using drawing materials or paint. I use liquified acrylic paint to draw fluid, wiggly lines, creating an initial layer. My process is very intuitive and every line that ends up on the surface remains there. I eventually cover some portions of this skeleton with one or more layers of paint. I leave the remaining areas open and untouched with portions of the raw paper or canvas visible. These elements interact to create the look of transparency or translucency and reveal a good deal of negative space. My palette usually consists of bright and vibrant, to pastel, to very pale colors.
This new phase of creation has been my opportunity to approach topics that I have wanted to discuss throughout my lifetime. With the climate crisis advancing and awareness around it growing, this is the right time to address these previously unexplored themes in my art. I believe that our lives are enhanced by empathy, exposure, and any approaches we can use to learn more about each other is critical - no matter how different we might be across nations and cultures. 


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