Christine (Krysia) Bayer, Artist

Artist's Statement

Sailor's Delight, Watercolour, 2009

West Beach Eve, Acrylic on Canvas, 2009

I have had a lifelong love affair with colour, attributable in part to my strong European roots and my family's emphasis on experiencing all the great galleries we passed in our travels. My paintings reflect this love through the use of strong, vibrant tones and textures that explore the mystery of changing light and reflect the true colours of nature. My work is a visual testimony to my commitment to life.

Like many people I have had a number of challenges in life, issues of health as well as demanding relationships. These experiences have definitely had a significant impact on the person I have become, a person who finds joy in the simple things in life shared with my like-minded partner. This zest for life, my exuberance and delight in new experiences, can be seen in my work. There is no room in my life for the drab and mundane; all my energy is reserved for joy and celebration. That is what defines my paintings.

Bio

As a first-generation Canadian Christine (Krysia) Bayer is justly proud of her Polish heritage, and the fact that her parents had the good sense to select Montréal, the most cosmopolitan of Canadian cities, as the place to raise their family,

Canadian Mountains Out West, Watercolour, 2009

Art studies at John Abbott College and training in various techniques and mediums in private classes in Montréal and Vancouver provided her with a strong basis for an artist's life emphasizing folk art and primitive applications for furniture, wood and walls. Leaving Montréal for the Laurentians, Christine changed her emphasis from true-to-life renderings and folk art to approaching landscape painting from the vantage point of a realistic impressionist.

Christine has battled multiple sclerosis for a number of years; in 2003 she lost the use of her right hand and successfully switched to painting with her left. This of course has impacted the style of her work, imbuing it with insight and a perspective that reflects her determination in the face of overwhelming adversity. Christine Bayer has clearly shown that creativity is in the head and heart, not in the hands.