Issue 6 Artist Spotlight | Kristine Narvida

C+B: Tell us about yourself, Kristine!

KN: I am a mother of four children. My everyday life has a cyclical subordinate rhythm, in which domestic concerns alternate with my professionalism. Handing a glass of water to my daughter, I can record how gently the daylight surrounds the figure and in a certain frame allows me to see a composition in the oil painting material. Nature, the surrounding can be a great source of inspiration. I mostly do everything myself, that's the way I work. My painting is very physically present, it belongs to a person. Illusions are always destroyed in the process of work. They accumulate and press on self-esteem, where self-expression becomes a fundamental source of inspiration. It is not necessary in personal life, because it is possible to enjoy what life "throws" at you.

C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?

KN: My relationship with work has not changed significantly as my professionalism and technical skills have grown. Sometimes I get the feeling that the created work lives its own life, independent of me, and I let it happen without tormenting the created image. Respect for the material and trust in it is what allows me to express myself, to speak about what I want to say.

C+B: What has your experience been like receiving feedback or criticism of your work?

KN: I take into account who the speaker is, how important that person is to me. The words of people dear to me can empower me, direct my discoveries, raise questions. Usually I find inspiration in the answers to those questions.

C+B: Which creator (present day or in the past) do you most admire and why? What draws you to their work?

KN: I grew up in the traditions of the Latvian gray school of painting, and I am happy to continue it. Such Latvian artists as Vilhelms Purvītis, Imants Vecozols, Boriss Bērziņš are my teachers, authors, whose technical skills and understanding have shaped my language of expression.

Find and support Kristine here:

IG: @narvida_art
Website: narvida.com

(The Study of Annoyance 5, 30cm x 40cm, oil on linen, ©Kristine Narvida)

My ideal creative retreat would be: Being alone at the Baltic Sea in winter.

One word that describes my most recent work is: Remembering

A quote that inspires me is: There is no such single quote. Genius appeals to me, which is so natural, as if there were no other options. I am drawn to the agility, directness and precision of thought that can be found in the work of many authors, both today and in the past.

My hope for those viewing my work: I hope that my work is a key to the personal space of the observer, it is the place where he meets himself. Self-discovery is what I see from the viewer.