Christine Lashley,
Christine Lashley, "Charleston Near the Battery," oil, 8 x 16 in.

While Christine grew up surrounded by the arts, her journey to becoming an artist wasn’t clear until later on in her life. Be inspired by her landscape paintings, and learn more in this interview.

Landscape Paintings by Christine Lashley

Inspired by Motherhood: How Christine Lashley Discovered Her Style 

BY SHAYDA WINDLE

Every artist has a personal story behind their work, and Christine Lashley is no different. In a recent interview, she told us that art has always been a part of her life, so we sat down with her to hear more about her journey in discovering the unique artistic style we’ve been lucky to see on display at her recent solo show at Principle Gallery, Charleston that opened April 1, 2022.

Landscape paintings - Christine Lashley, "Tidal Sands," oil, 40 x 60 in.
Christine Lashley, “Tidal Sands,” oil, 40 x 60 in.

Christine is a contemporary impressionist painter, with a unique take on landscapes, often using color and texture to make her paintings look realistic from afar and dissolving into abstraction as the viewer looks closer. Her artistic journey is unique, too, in its own right. After studying art in Paris at the Parson’s Art Institute and the Sorbonne, she went on to earn a bachelor of fine arts at Washington University St. Louis. While Christine grew up surrounded by the arts, her journey to becoming an artist wasn’t clear until later on in her life.

Landscape paintings of London
Christine Lashley, “Lights of London,” oil, 20 x 20 in.

As a child, Christine was frustrated with her skills and wanted to take classes but couldn’t find classic art instruction, so she taught herself her own techniques. As she says, “In hindsight, it wasn’t such a bad thing because it helped me find out what I really wanted to say as an artist.” Christine always enjoyed realism and impressionist art, but despite the excellent art program at Washington University, she says, “the resurgence in realism and was only just beginning upon graduation from art school. Fine art galleries at the time were showing ‘express yourself’ abstracts or concept-based installations, which was not my area of interest.”

Christine Lashley, "Riviera Nights," oil, 11 x 14 in.
Christine Lashley, “Riviera Nights,” oil, 11 x 14 in.

It wasn’t until Christine had children that she feels as though she truly “became a fine artist.” Christine shared, “I chose to stay at home with them and in between naps and at bedtime I worked on my art. Later on, after some early success in exhibiting and selling my work, I finally understood what type of instruction and inspiration I needed to progress with my art. I chose to study with several master artists and feel so fortunate to have finally found answers to the artistic questions I was unable to articulate so many years ago. Of course, the art journey is ongoing. I’m always learning, but there is much more clarity and focus now.”

Paintings of New York City
Christine Lashley, “NYC Impressions,” oil, 60 x 48 in.

Christine’s art is also unique in that her oil landscape paintings are informed by her watercolor sketches and the flow, merging, and luminosity that the watercolor medium can achieve. Christine says, “Both mediums support each other and overlap. It’s a misconception that watercolor is unforgiving. The fun bursts of color and quirks show up in my oils. Watercolor gives me ideas on how to surprise the viewer. When I teach I encourage students (of all media) to use watercolor to explore composition and color combinations.”

Still life paintings - Christine Lashley, "Latour Whites," oil, 30 x 24 in.
Christine Lashley, “Latour Whites,” oil, 30 x 24 in.

We asked Christine what her thoughts were about giving art as a gift. She said, “In these days of factory-produced everything, a piece of art that has been hand-crafted (over a lifetime!) is something to be cherished. Original art has a richness to it, and I can’t imagine not having art in my home.”

When it comes to choosing the right frame for artwork, she says, “It’s an important part of how the art rests on the wall and interacts with the decor. Sometimes minimal is best (such as a thin floater frame), while other times a larger traditional wood frame and maybe a liner is best. Oftentimes, the buyer’s home decor is a good indication of what will fit for a frame.”

landscape paintings - Christine Lashley, "Paris Sunset," oil, 24 x 36 in.
Christine Lashley, “Paris Sunset,” oil, 24 x 36 in.

What’s in store for Christine’s future artistic endeavors? She told us she’s currently working on two ideas: cityscapes and natural landscapes with water reflections. The goal of her new body of work is to embrace and embellish refracted light and sparkle, but to reduce superfluous detail. As she said, “I’ve always been attracted to complex scenes and flecks of color. I’m working on a ‘glancing impression’ of layers, multi-colors, and abstract patterns that suggest edited and fun realism without exhaustive detail.”

(last updated April 2022)


If you really want to paint differently, then you have to learn new and different techniques. There’s no better way to uncover all the new possibilities that are just waiting for you than by learning from a successful artist who has also been an instructor for over 20 years. Start here with Christine Lashley’s “Paintings That Sparkle” video workshop.

Preview it here:


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