Working with dried flowers, fresh bouquets and flowers foraged from her neighbourhood, “Cultivating Intimacy” is Krista’s reflection on a very strange year – one of isolation and repetition. These new works developed from a curiosity of months of intimate observations with the source materials and a real need for closeness.

Krista’s process, to appreciate and explore natural beauty, became a necessary act of self care and helped her sustain connections, which she thought might be lost in this past year.

The compositions came from her desire to create spaces that allow for intimate relationships with nature and flowers. Her studies allowed for more spontaneous marks and gave her the freedom to explore the subtleties of colour. Her larger pieces provided an opportunity to expand on these ideas, building layers and brush marks while working with photo references, sketches and from life. Some of the paintings exhibit a feeling of nostalgia, with wilted and dried roses in shades of yellows, green, gold and deep pinks. These paintings contrast with other lighter pieces that seek to celebrate the blooms that comes from a new season. Each painting can be viewed as part of an eternal cycle – some works of joy, energy and passion and others of melancholy and stillness.