Contemporary Artist
2127 To To Tom Dr
Lac du Flambeau, WI 54538
(715) 588-7115
cealfery@gmail.com
www.christinealfery.com
Virtual tours are available. If you cannot attend North Woods art tour, you will be sincerely missed! Christine understands and has put together a tour of all the artwork on display during the tour and some videos of specific new works, so you can get virtually up close and personal and hear the artist, inspirations, techniques, and stories; these videos will be available on Facebook, Artist Christine Alfery, and YouTube.
Artwork is always available for collection online at the website and in person. Please visit christinealfery.com or email if you have any questions.
Artists Statement
What do you see when you look at an abstract or semi-abstract work of art? Nothing or something? Do you find abstract work confusing like a pile of jigsaw puzzle pieces unsorted and walk away? Or do you look at an abstract work, like you look at that pile for jigsaw puzzle pieces and begin to sort the pieces out and try and figure it out?
An abstract artist takes the pile of jigsaw pieces and begins to sort them out. An abstract artist/painter takes the many colors that they have placed on some medium, and knows there is something there. Much like they know there is something there with the jigsaw puzzle that they begin to solve, they begin to solve the puzzle of the painting. The abstract artist perceives and sorts and creates something fresh, different, and new by remixing the same colors they have used in another work. But this time a fresh idea emerges from them. This idea, this fresh concept is then identified. That is what happens to me every time I begin to paint. Every time, I have butterflies in my stomach and I gleefully wonder what will emerge and what its identification will be.
In our country and culture, there appears to be a tendency to establish winner-and-loser dynamics. It’s unclear why, but our culture seems to have embraced the concept of life as a game with winners and losers, leading to a dichotomy of two sides and two sets of values. This has fostered the notion that my side is right, therefore the winner, and your side is wrong, hence the loser. This prevailing mindset generates situations of right and wrong, with my values being deemed right and yours as wrong. Somehow, this has become integral to our way of life and our means of survival. Our culture, for some reason, favors creating binary oppositions as a means of achieving a happy and fulfilling life.
I opt not to adhere to binary divisions, acknowledging their existence while consciously choosing not to be bound by them. Whether these divisions are perceived or concrete is inconsequential; what matters is that they exist and create separations among people. Instead, I choose to embrace reality and distance myself from these binaries, seeking alternative spaces to pursue work, leisure, and life itself.
I have been working, studying, and researching allegorical representations of the earth. The work I have been creating focuses on the symbolism found in various cultures, which serves to explain and navigate the tumultuous journey of life. I firmly believe that life is akin to a roller coaster ride, not a mere game. The individuals and concepts depicted in my work illustrate how the human spirit, talent, and ultimately the triumph of the human spirit are deeply intertwined with elements derived from the earth.
All “things” natural, what I call the “yes, yes, yeses” of life, contribute to this ultimate triumph.“
More about Christine:
Christine writes about these “things” in her blog, which is located on her website at christinealfery.com.
Her studio is nestled in the woods of Vilas County, Wisconsin on a lake within an Indian reservation. She finds her “yes, yes, yeses” and peace and freedom in this area.
Laura Fiser, Curator of Collections at the Paine Art Center in Oshkosh, described her work as “an exceptional mix of spontaneity and expressiveness. Her pallet is both understated and lush.” Her work, according to national, watercolor artist, Steven Quiller, is “playful and has a nice energy.”
Christine shows her contemporary, conceptual, watercolor, and acrylic paintings nationally and internationally. She competes in watercolor competitions around the world. She has over 100 national awards and is a signature member of 15 national watercolor societies. Her studio is open during the tour and by appointment after the tour. She welcomes and treasures visits from art lovers from all over the country. She welcomes your visit to her studio nestled in the Northwoods.
