Jennifer McChristian Contemporary Impressionist

Award winning artist, Jennifer McChristian, was born and raised in Montreal, Canada.  From an early age, she knew she wanted to be an artist. Upon completing high school,  McChristian began her art education at Dawson’s College in Montreal, Canada.  In 1986, she and her family took permanent residency in California, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree with Honors from Otis Art Institute in 1990.

McChristian was employed as a full-time animation artist and worked on projects for various animation studios including Disney and Nickelodeon. She has continued her studies under the tutelage of renowned artists Robert Blue,  Karl Dempwolf,  Scott Burdick and Steve Huston.  Her inspirations consist of notable artists such as John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, Nicolai Fechin and Cecilia Beaux.  McChristian primarily paints  in oils and occasionally watercolors.  She has an affinity for painting ‘en plein air’ and also enjoys creating studio works using her outdoor sketches as inspiration. “Plein-air painting is somewhat of a spiritual experience for me. Although challenging at times, the end result evokes within me a sense of elation, nostalgia and harmony”.

Since 2000,  McChristian has devoted herself to painting full-time and actively participates in art events and community building programs. She conducts an ongoing, uninstructed figure drawing workshop twice a week out of her spacious 1200 square foot studio (that she refers to as her ‘sanctuary’) located in the heart of Los Feliz Village, CA.  In addition, McChristian teaches private painting lessons once a week. She also finds the time to pursue other artistic interests such as classical ballet. McChristian believes learning is a never-ending process and continues to develop and refine her artistic talent through workshops, research, travel and frequent excursions to museums and galleries.

McChristian was recently invited to participate at the 2009 11th Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational. She was also featured in Southwest Art's October 2009 publication and American Art Collector's February 2010 issue. She is a founding member of the Plein Air Painters of the West (PAPW) an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America (OPA) and a Signature Member of Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA)

Ms. McChristian is currently represented by Segil Fine Art Source in Monrovia, CA Aarnun Gallery in Pasadena, CA, Evergreen Fine Art in Evergreen, CO, Abend Gallery in Denver, CO and Silvana Gallery in Glendale, CA. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her significant other, Ben Fried, and a magically inclined calico cat named Bamboo.


SELECTED GROUP SHOWS:

2010 - "All Gallery Show" Abend Gallery, Denver, CP
2010 - "Urban Spaces: The San Fernando Valley" La Galeria Gitana, San Fernando, CA
2009 - "Small Works Show 2009" Gallery 1261, Denver, CO
2009 - "19th Annual Miniatures Holiday Show" Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2009 - "7th Annual Small Works Show" Segil Gallery, Monrovia, CA
2009 - "11th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational 2009", Laguna Beach, CA
2009 - "Best of Plein Air" Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Laguna, CA
2009 - "2009 OPA Western Regional Exhibition" Kirkland, WA
2009 - "New Work"  Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts / Beato and Logan Galleries, Ojai, CA
2009 - "Summer Salon" Segil Gallery, CA
2009 - "Less Is More" Miniatures Show,  Randy Higbee Gallery, CA
2009 - "Fresh Colours" Spring Group Show, Segil Gallery, CA
2009 - "OPA's 18th National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils", Sage Creek Gallery, NM
2009 - "Salon International 2009"  Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, TX
2009 - "The Richeson 75: International Small Works Competition", Richeson Art Gallery, WI
2009 - "Contemporary Masters, Artistic Eden II"  Pasadena Historical Museum, CA
2008 - "18th Annual Holiday Miniatures Show" Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2008 - "Aarnun Gallery Annual Winter Show" Aarnun Gallery, Pasadena,CA
2008 - "Annual Small Works North America 2008" Greenwich Workshop Gallery, Fairfield, CT
2008 - "Plein Air Painters of the West Fall Show ~ A Common Vision" Segil Fine Art Source, Monrovia,   CA
2008 - "10th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational" Laguna Museum, CA
2008 - "OPA Western Regional Show and Sale"  Devin Gallery, Coeur d' Alene, ID
2008 - "Two Person Show "  Greenwich Workshop Gallery, Fairfield, CT
2008 - "Salon International 2008"   Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2008 -  “C.M. Russell Auction and Exhibitors' Show”  Great Falls, MT
2008 - “OPA’s 17th National Juried Exhibition” Dana Gallery, Missoula, MT
2008 - “Urban LA and the Allure of Southern California”  Segil Fine Art Source, Monrovia, CA   
2007 - “Holiday Red Ribbon Group Show”  Segil Fine Art Source,  Monrovia, CA
2007 - “SmallWorks ~ North America”  Greenwich Workshop Gallery, Fairfield, CT
2007 - "Sixth Annual Invitational"  Fort Worth, TX 
2007 - “Contemporary Masters, Artistic Eden”  Pasadena Museum of History, Pasadena, CA
2007 - “A Decade of Inspiration”  Bedlam Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA
2007 - “GET:ART”  Annual Fundraiser, Bonhams and Butterfields, Los Angeles, CA 
2006 - “Treasures”  Segil Fine Art Source, Monrovia, CA 
2006 - “Winter Group Show”  Aarnun Gallery, Pasadena, CA 
2006 - “42nd  Pasadena Showcase House of Design”  Pasadena, CA 
2006 - “Salon International 2006”  Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX 
2006 - “Live Draw!”   DAC Fine Art with Human Rights Project, Los Angeles, CA 
2006 -  “Music and Art in the Park”  Glendale Orchestra Assoc. and Segil Fine Art Source, Glendale, CA 
2005 - “3rd Annual Small Works Show”   Segil Fine Art Source, Monrovia, CA 
2005 - “Jardins En Plein Air”  Whites Gallery, Montrose, CA 
2005 - “The 39th Annual Mother Lode Art Exhibition”  Our House Defines Art Gallery, El Dorado Hills, CA 
2005 - “Winter Group Show”  Segil Fine Art Source, Monrovia, CA 
2005 - “Annual Russian Winter Ball Fundraiser”  Los Angeles-St. Petersburg Sister City Committee,  Casa Del Mar Hotel, Los Angeles, CA 
2004 -  “Holiday Show”  Aarnun Gallery, Pasadena, CA 
2004 -  “Second Annual Holiday Small Works Show”  Segil Fine Art Gallery, Monrovia, CA     
2004 -  “Spring Salon”  The Arroyo Collection, Pasadena, CA             
2004 -   “CAC Annual Ebell Club Exhibition”  Los Angeles, CA 
2003 -  “Fall Salon”  The Arroyo Collection, Pasadena, CA 
2003 -  “Ode to the Open Road”  The Arroyo Collection, Pasadena, CA 
2003  - “Artist’s Choice”  Women’s City Club, Pasadena, CA            
2002  -  Melrose and Mississippi Gallery, La Canada, CA 
2002  - “Paintings of the Old Mill”  California Art Club Gallery, San Marino, CA 
2002  - “Paintings Created in the Studio-Still Life and Figurative”  Women’s City Club, Pasadena, CA 
2002  -  “East Valley Association Open Art Show,” West Covina, CA 
2000  -  Film Roman, Inc., N. Hollywood, CA 
1994  -  Otis Parsons Main Gallery, Los Angeles, CA