CRISTINA CHANTELOUP As many artist we all lived colorful lives and past lives. I am always intrigued how we all arrived under the same roof. Being on separate floors, with doors closed, I always think that there are so many great stories, souls, behind these doors. My parents always said; "We never had to worry about Cristina, she was always creating something". It's true, as a young I was blessed with loving parents and a most creative grandmother who lived two doors away. Every day after school I would visit her and she would make me warm tortillas, later we danced around her red kitchen floor. I watched her garden, cook, crochet and sing chants from the old country of (Mexico). "Nana" said she had a cure for everything in her garden, and she did! She was my mentor and "kinder spirit" to the creative world. The simple fact, life was and still is just as wonderful as when I was a child. As a Mexican American, I was surrounded by my family’s rich culture of color, texture, and magic. I had learned from every aspect of my Aztec/Spanish heritage. From listening to Indian chants, to stories of my grandfather ridding with Poncho Via and retiring to the mountains of Arizona to make peace with life as a sheepherder. I observed and listened well. My wise father always said to "live life with a sense of passion, rapture and surprise" and I have never stopped. The creative arts have been a constant theme in my professional career as an educator, interior architect, surface designer and fine artist. For several years I worked in the corporate world for HOK Architects, designing interiors for major corporations. During this time I was encouraged by my peers to enter a national competition featuring "Future Textile Designers of Tomorrow". To my surprise, I was one of the ten award winners out of 400. The exhibit toured national galleries, museums and was published in design review magazines. The award allowed me to re-embrace my fine art and textile design skills on a higher level than before. After a few years away from the corporate world I re-entered the commercial world again designing men's neckwear for Mulberry Neckwear. The transition was smooth as geometric form, shape, and function are the same principles found both in architecture as in men's neckwear. I was also able to express my fine art skills in the "Art In Neckwear" program, which launched Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead neckwear lines. After a few years it was time to move on. I soon found myself working as a designer for Williams Sonoma-Pottery Barn. I now have a studio in Sausalito, California, at the historical Industrial Center Building. The ICB provides me the creative space where I can create and reflect with other fellow artists. If I'm not in my studio I can be found at home in my garden. I live in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area, where most of my inspirations are found both in nature, and architecture. From the simple to the most complex: forms, colors, and patterns are always unfolding new inspirations for my watercolors and textile designs. I see beauty in a simple weathered garden tool; to the colors of the seasonal year- I am inspired and transformed everyday by the world that surrounds me.
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