I HAVE TWO GALLERIES
Online Gallery
I post all available Originals and Limited Edition prints in this Online Gallery. I am just an email away. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or requests.
Windermere Gallery
My Windermere Gallery is located within Charleston's iconic design center called "Antiques of South Windermere" at 22 Windermere Blvd, Charleston SC. You will find a sampling of Originals and Limited Editions. Email me, if you see something online that you would like to view in person at Windermere. I visit my gallery often. I hope to see you there by chance or by appointment.
ORIGINALS
I humbly attempt to document extraordinary beauty of individual creatures whose paths I cross in zoos, sanctuaries, and in the wild. My hope is to do my small part to inspire wildlife appreciation and conservation. I paint with Chinese watercolor and ink on watercolor paper. I call my style "Modern Gongbi", because of similarities of my work to ancient Chinese Gongbi paintings (See Blog: "Modern Gongbi Style").
Upon completion of each original; in my studio, I oversee the preservation of each piece in a deep solid wood frame surrounded by archival papers/tapes and conservation glazing. You may acquire framed or unframed Originals at Windermere Gallery or Online Gallery. I ship unframed Originals in flat archival packaging (See Blog: "Is It Archival?").
LIMITED EDITION REPRODUCTIONS
My "Limited Edition Reproductions" are durable to standards of permanent art. I personally perform high resolution photography of my original painting and prepare image for printing. A Charleston artist/printer creates print (Archival Paper/Ink). After printing; with my own hand, I enhance focal points on reproduction with Chinese Watercolor and Ink. With my own hand; I sign, date, and number each reproduction (See Blog: "Not All Art Reproductions Created Equal").
At Windermere, I offer Limited Editions framed exactly as Original. In Online Gallery, I do NOT offer frames at this time. I ship unframed Limited Editions rolled in archival paper in a tube.
COMMISSIONS
I welcome wildlife and human portrait commissions. I paint wildlife in either ink or Chinese watercolor; and humans in ink. My commission process is a collaborative one. It begins with a discussion of subject, size, price, and time frame. Photography session is set up at your desired location/time. I study photography and present possible poses to you for approval/selection. Light in the eye is most important. I have used client's favorite image as inspiration, but, only if I can see deeply into the eyes. Wildlife portraits begin at $1500 (16x20 Bust). Humans begin at $2500 (16x20 Bust). Please feel free to contact me regarding any aspect of my process.
FOR THE TRADE AND COLLABORATION
I enjoy working with designers. I offer my design experience, skills, vision, and flexibility that is required for collaborative custom work; as well as my available Originals and Limited Editions. Contact me: christinahewsonfordesigners@gmail.com
ABOUT ME
I was born in 1988, in Charleston. I was raised and homeschooled in the country near Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Time, space, and solitude were plentiful. I was blessed with a wonderful childhood; immersed in math, science, literature, piano recitals, art, and swim meets. Cats, dogs, alligators, birds, and many others wandered about freely. After receiving a piano scholarship, I planned a music career. But, after one year, I returned to Charleston to study art at the College of Charleston. I have been a full-time painter ever since.
In 2011, I completed a Studio Art degree and began my first collection. From 2012 to 2015; I established my Windermere Gallery and showed at Southeastern Wildlife Expo and Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival (Thomasville, GA). During same time, I painted wildlife commissions, human portrait commissions, worked with designers, and showed in many smaller Charleston venues.
In 2015, as fate would have it, a sudden illness ended my career as I had known it. I moved to Boston. While healing, painting human/wildlife portrait commissions, and exploring Boston's multitude of cultural treasures; I began to see myself and my art with fresh perspective.
By 2020, Chinese watercolor/ink wildlife portraiture had become my passion and path. I returned to Charleston to reestablish my Windermere and Online galleries with Originals and Limited Editions.
Today, I live and work in Charleston just two miles from my Windermere Gallery. I am a painter first and begin early morning. After painting, I focus on my collectors and design world. For fun; I love walking, wildlife photography, and spending time with my family. I play piano occasionally.
Lastly; I would like to say I am enormously grateful for my Collectors, who give me freedom to paint. Thank you!
Sincerely Christina
KEEP IN TOUCH
I welcome you to join my EMAIL. I respect your privacy. Every Thurs night at 8 PM, I send a brief EMAIL update. At same time, I post brief Blog, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. I would be honored to have you pop in for a minute or two on Thursday nights.