Visual Resume
Born An Artist
“she put me at an easel where I would create delightful forms and drips of wonderful primary colors”
In kindergarten Christine Alfery’s torn paper snowman won first place in her school art competition. Looking back, she attributes her very first teacher with the foresight to realize that Christine learned visually. “My teacher knew I couldn’t sit long enough to nap - so during nap time she put me at an easel where I would create delightful forms and drips of wonderful primary colors.” Christine was blessed with many teachers who recognized and supported her visual learning style. From her earliest memories, Christine was an artist.
As early as the 1960’s Christine’s artwork was featured in art fairs throughout the Midwest. Popular themes included landscapes in various media.
An Explosion of Success & Creativity
In the early 1980’s Christine was discovered by a professional art distributor out of the New York area. As she worked to meet the seemingly endless appetite of interior designers and corporate collectors, she thrived. Painting this much allowed her to explore and experiment.
During this period Christine created primarily large colorful canvas acrylics. She also began experimenting with various media including handmade paper, textile, acrylic, watercolor and more.
Meeting the Demand
While Christine’s popularity allowed her to thrive, she also found that collectors had specific requests; Glitz sold - so she included gold and glitter, landscapes sold - so more landscapes were created. During this time Christine created and sold thousands of original works, focusing mostly on large acrylic works on canvas.
“I realized I was just making art to match someone’s couch. . . it was reducing the value of my artwork”
Christine realized her success was limiting her creativity. "I was just repeating the works that were good sellers. It was taking away from my creativity. It was time to move on.”
Success on Her Own
In the early 90’s Christine began working for herself. She opened a showroom in High Point North Carolina and worked with over 30 sales representatives who sold her artwork around the country. Creating new styles, trying new mediums and techniques, she said "I was able to begin exploring again".
The Troubling Question
As Christine’s popularity continued, she once again found she was repeating popular themes in order to fulfill the desires of her collectors. In the back of her mind, a troubling question grew louder and louder . . .
"is this my dream?"
The answer was no. In the mid 90’s Christine made the difficult decision to completely leave the interior design business, close her showroom, and go back to school.
“I needed to find my soul again”
Academia & Experimentation
Through 2009 Christine studied and taught at the University of Wisconsin, Madison earning multiple post-graduate degrees. She completely stopped selling, and rather sought creativity and authenticity in her artwork. Building upon her extensive oeuvre, Alfery's style continued to evolve and mature, and she felt free to push boundaries. Many of the experimental works from this time remain in her personal collection.
Maturity that Comes from a Lifetime of Artistry
A lifetime of creativity, successes, learning and continuously seeking led Christine to her current studio in Northern Wisconsin. Here she continues to explore watercolor on paper, large canvas works, and any other medium that sparks her imagination.
She creates daily, exploring new ideas, new concepts, new techniques - seeking freedom in her works, based on a solid foundation of experience.
Her current oeuvre embodies a maturity exemplified by those few artists who continue to curate inspiration through a lifetime of artistry.
Christine Alfery is a signature member of 14 National Watercolor Societies, has been featured in over 60 publications, and has been awarded hundreds of distinctions. Her artwork has been featured in over 400 National and International Juried Exhibitions since 2009 including The Art Expo of New York, SOFA in Chicago, ART Spectrum during Art Basel in Miami and more.
Christine sells her work from her studio and online as a result of the changes due to the pandemic. As the curator of the Howard Young Art Gallery and a prominently featured artist of the Northwoods Art tour, she gives back as a leader and supporter of her local arts community.
"When I create I want my mind to be as open as a child choosing a color from a box of 100 different crayons - filled with the endless possibilities"
