Pieces of Me – Self Portrait 2013
“Painting is how I make sense of the world. It’s where I sort out my thoughts. It’s the place where my ideas brew. As I work on each piece I never know what will rise to the surface or where the journey will take me.
That’s where the magic lies. That’s what keeps calling to me. I know that the good stuff is in the unexpected twists and turns. ” Kristine Ballard
Kristine Ballard is an Australian artist living and working in the inner west region of Sydney, (on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people and part of the Eora Nation), now considered one of the most creative precincts in Australia. It didn’t start off like that. As a child she was always creating, stealing the good scissors and crafting cards and booklets. She loved creating and would invent tiny paper shops and hats. She would escape to her room for hours, content with coloured pencils and paper. It was here that she fell in love with colour and creativity. (Want to know the origins to Ballard’s dedication to art making?
Check out her story here > How I found my power for positivity.
She grew up in Gosford and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Design at Newcastle University before making her way to the big smoke in Sydney. In the city she worked as a Graphic Designer and Studio Manager for over 15 years before making the jump into the fine art world.
‘No place like home’ is a quirky interpretation of Ballard’s local suburb of Sydenham and features in her ‘Serenity‘ Series.
Often frustrated with the lack of creative freedom in her design career offered she went in search for other ways to cultivate her artistic career. During this time Ballard built up an Art School in a partnership in Northern Sydney for over a decade. Hosting over 150 students a term, she created the annual schedules and many of the programs including weekly classes and holiday workshops. Additionally she would continue to work in the arts industry hosting art functions for corporate and community groups and teaching art classes to ages 6-96.
Nurturing her love for colour and paint Ballard continued to develop her own painting skills and creative ideas. Strengthening her reach in the arts industry, she began to enter competitions and apply for art residencies. Successfully making finalist in many art prizes and gaining grants for international art residencies, her art world continued to expand.
‘River Trails‘ is a an ode to nature’s resilience and a celebration of Ballard’s local river. The hero piece in the series of the same name.
Ballard has been living and creating art full time in Sydney now for over 25 years. Her passion for colour and its restorative qualities has made a great impact on the development of her own art works. Drawing inspiration from the elements around her, many of her painting collections focus on her creative responses to her local environments and abroad. Those places where colour sings are what attracts her creative mind most.
Her series SERENITY focuses on the character and environment she lives in. Close to the airport, serenity is found in the local park and surrounds (and yes there is a little nod to the 1997 movie ‘The Castle’). Never a quiet moment, especially under a flight path!
Check out the series here>
Her local river was the inspiration for her RIVER TRAILS series. Capturing the character and colour of the Cooks River.
Check out the series here>
Always an artist in motion, her love for colour extends beyond the edges of Australia. Exploring locations renown throughout history for their unique light and colour, Ballard has found ways to get herself to locations where past colour lovers were inspired.
Completing residencies in France, Italy, Fiji and New York as well as some back in Australia has allowed her to pursue her knowledge for colour and apply this to her creations. It was in Spain, walking the hills of Picasso’s childhood that the seeds of her style ‘Fragmatism’ sprouted. Taking the cubist theory of dissecting shapes and combining this with the optical colour theories of the Fauvist movement, Ballard found a way to capture her sensations of experience to canvas.
She has been applying these concepts to her subjects ever since. Recording her dialogues in shape and colour has allowed her to exercise her colour theories and experiment.
Ballard continues to develop her process throughout her paintings. Each artwork is an evolution of the last one. She continues to be an active member in the arts industry, exhibiting regularly, judging art prizes and conducting workshops to help others unleash their own creativity. She is a fellow of the legendary Royal Art Society of NSW and member of the Colour Society of Australia.
Inspiration and creation on locations at the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Centre.
Studio time at the Police Point Residency in Mornington Victoria.
Painting french colour on residency at Chateau Orquevaux, France.
Painting in Venice in studio and on site.
Creating onsite at the Art Students of New York Residency Program.
