Kristin
Fuller

Photo credit, Robert Sullivan

I am a Baltimore based artist working in oil paint, printmaking, mixed media collage, and photography.

In my junior year of college, at Kutztown University, I was given permission to make abstract art. I say “given permission” because at that time, I thought of abstract art as something very special; something that had a deeper meaning. It seemed to me to be something that was difficult. It was as if I was asking to be accepted by the abstract artists of the past. I was afraid. I was afraid that I would fall short and disgrace those who worked so hard to define the movement.
One of my professors led me to the works of Milton Resnick and Clyfford Still. I very soon found out that abstract art was extremely difficult and very special and abundant with meaning. The Abstract Expressionist and their Surrealist cohorts, who pioneered abstract art in America in the mid-20th Century, became my “Old Masters”. As a young adult, I had little patience, so I worked on multiple canvases simultaneously. Working in oils forced me to slow down, as they take much more time to dry than acrylics. I loved, still do, the smell of oil paint and the texture of the paint was sensual. I fell in love with my materials.

I've been working exclusively in abstraction and non-representational because my voice is best received through my expressive brushstrokes.
The reverence I have for abstract art has not wavered since the time I opened a book of Milton Resnick's work. Even after 30 years of practice, I still have a lot to learn about painting and abstract art. It is still difficult, for which I am grateful, I believe that you must fail in order to learn, and you must learn in order to grow. Without growth there is no point to practicing. 

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One of the things that define us as humans is our need for art.

We interact with art in our homes differently than we do when we go to the museum or see it online. For one thing, it belongs to us, and it is something that we’ve chosen to spend time with daily. The artworks become a part of your life. It’s always there. We become connected to the artwork, it can alter our moods, and add color and energy to a living space.

Art can inspire and allow us to see things from different perspectives and make us more observant. Art helps with human development in terms of learning and understanding difficult concepts, as it accesses different parts of the human brain. It allows people to problem-solve as well as make more complex concepts easier to understand by providing a visual format instead of just words or numbers.

Art gives us immeasurable personal and social benefits. We rely on the arts to help us through difficult times. Art reminds us that we are not alone and that we share a universal human experience. Through art, we feel deep emotions together and can process experiences and find connections.

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