Artist Christine Anne Nightingale
Images, not words, are how artist Christine Anne Nightingale learned to express herself. Not only are her mother and uncle painters, so was her paternal grandmother. Born in Santiago, Chile, Nightingale moved with her family to the United States at age 14. Throughout high school, she continued pursuing an interest in painting.
After marrying a Brazilian, she relocated to Fortaleza, Brazil to study graphic design at the university Devry in Fortaleza. Nightingale recalls that except for Frida Kahlo, very few women artists were mentioned during her training.
“I’ve discovered so many talented women since school,” says Nightingale. “I’m in love right now with the Swedish abstract painter Hilma af Klint. She was doing incredible, groundbreaking work before many of the famous male artists people are more familiar with today.”
Elements of Spirituality
For the next 10 years, Nightingale taught herself to paint with different media, including oil and acrylic. Choosing what to capture on canvas is “always an intimate search” for the artist. The human figure and nature are constant inspirations for her paintings, as is incorporating elements of digital collage. Much like Klint, Nightingale’s work has elements of spirituality.
“When someone sees my artwork, I want them to feel something pleasant or maybe make them question themselves on how to achieve that feeling of wellness,” she shares. “Like a way of healing. I believe we see and experience so much negativity in the day-to-day that art has to be a good experience, but with a mix of curiosity and mystery. The feminine figure is very present in my work because women have the power to create, to create life…and I believe as women we are more connected to the world, to nature, and to ourselves.”
An Endless Journey
After her divorce in 2017, Nightingale returned to Chile and then the United States to be near her sister. Today she works in South Florida, where the focus has been on painting the ocean, mixed media artwork, and creating murals.
“I dream every single night and remember everything most of the time,” says Nightingale. “Those experiences show up in my work. I’m very curious. Constantly feeling as if I’m on the search for something. An endless journey. That is my art. It is a constant whirl of creating, learning, and discovering more about myself and the world.”
Christine Anne Nightingale
Written by Erin Prather Stafford
All images provided Christine Anne Nightingale
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