CHRISTINA LOUISE HEWSON
Wildlife Portraiture - Chinese Watercolor
My Windermere Gallery
BIO
I was born and raised in the Charleston area near Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. I began painting wildlife at two and never stopped. After receiving a piano college scholarship, my focus changed. After one year; I returned to painting, fell in love with ink with Chinese brush, earned a Studio Art BA at the College of Charleston in 2011, and began showing my ink portraits at Antiques of South Windermere (hereafter referred to as Windermere).
From 2012 to 2015; I showed at Windermere, Southeastern Wildlife Expo, Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival, painted commissions, and worked with interior designers. In 2015, I moved to Boston. It was there that I first focused on Chinese watercolor.
In 2020, I returned to Charleston and Windermere. It is a delight to resume showing my work alongside Charleston's top designers. At Windermere, I am honored to meet passionate collectors of all ages and interests. I hope to meet you there.
ORIGINALS
With patience and camera, I strive to look deeply into the eyes to find that certain something that defines. I study my photography, until a pose captures me. On watercolor paper, I draw eyes first. I paint only with Chinese watercolor and ink - with Chinese brush. Because of similarities of my draftsman like drawings to traditional Chinese gongbi painting technique, I call my style Modern Gongbi. As a needed respite from gongbi rigor, I play with a portrait's coloration to create an abstract. I occasionally paint humans in ink.
LIMITED EDITIONS
To create Limited Editions, I personally photograph my original portrait and digitally enhance the image to emulate the original's coloration. A fine Charleston artist/printer creates print (archival paper/inks). After printing; by hand, I personally enhance Limited Editions with Chinese watercolor, number, date, and signature.
AUTHENTICITY AND FRAMING
Each Original and Limited Edition is accompanied with a Certificate of Authenticity. To ensure archival preservation; I "float" my Originals and Limited Editions in a deep wood frame, surrounded in archival papers/tapes and behind conservation glazing.
WINDERMERE AND ONLINE
At Windermere, I offer "framed" Originals and Limited Editions. Online, I offer "unframed" Originals and Limited Editions and ship in "flat archival packaging", throughout USA.