My business cards are adorned with the phrase “Creativity Takes Courage.” This quote by artist Henri Matisse is a quintessential reason why I create art. My paintings have a piece of my vulnerability and hints of my courageous style that show bright color, intense texture, and lively movement, all of which leads me to think of myself as an artists who travels outside the boundaries of conventional painting. I travel outside the boundaries of my paintings both figuratively and literally as many of my works are inspired by foreign people, intriguing conversations, and vast landscapes in my journeys outside of the United States. Many artists do not have the luxury or means to travel, I make travel a priority because travel is the subject of my art. I find courage to travel and courage to embrace my creativity to make paintings with color, texture, and movement which give them all vivacious life and tell their own story both through my travels in Alaska and abroad.
Biography
Christina is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Expressive Arts Therapist in
Anchorage, Alaska. She has a passion for helping individuals with serious, life-limiting illnesses process
their experiences through art and find meaning at the end of their lives. She is a PhD student in the
Palliative Care program at the University of Maryland-Baltimore, where her dissertation focuses on
increasing resilience for families and caregivers of those with serious, life-limiting illnesses. She also
serves as an adjunct faculty member teaching studio arts at Alaska Pacific University. She conducts
weekly yoga classes at Namaste North Yoga and integrates movement and breathwork into her expressive
arts therapy practice. In her free time, Christina enjoys creating her own art using oil and acrylic paints to
bring joy and beauty to Alaskan residents. She has written, illustrated, and self-published six children’s
books and has been awarded several international art residencies. Christina enjoys photographing scenes
from her travels across Africa, Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and is working on a non-
fiction book titled “40 countries by 40.” She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University
of Minnesota-Morris and a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Alaska Pacific University.
She eagerly looks forward to finishing her PhD, promising her family that she will be done with school
forever—though, of course, she will never truly stop learning. Most importantly, she loves exploring
parks and nature trails, playing board games, eating cookies, and engaging in lively tickle fights with her
6-year-old, 9-year-old, and 42-year-old husband, who are the loves of her life.