Biography
Christine Houtman is an artist based in Penticton, BC Canada. She grew up in the beautiful Okanagan valley where much of her childhood was spent exploring outdoors, at the beach, in the cherry orchards and in her own backyard. You can see in her art the influence of the natural world ~ the water, trees, plants, animals.. she paints from the beauty she sees all around.
She loved drawing and creating things from a very young age and that passion continued throughout her school and college years. However, she would say that she's mostly self-taught ~ “Art school gives you an experience and exposes you to artists' minds and that's valuable, for sure, but I think it is in those quiet treasured moments of actually making art that your own style comes alive. And that can be anywhere..at anytime. I'm not sure you can 'learn' that ~ I believe it's already a part of you..and we've all got it. It may not be painting but it's something”.
Christine has gone through various stages, some prolific times, some turbulence and many quiet and introspective times too. She followed her curiosity down many different paths journeying into her many interests and programs, and sometimes her practical nature asserted itself and took over for awhile. However, art and painting always beckoned, always on her mind as something to pursue “one day”. That day has arrived, as she follows her dream of painting for the love of it.
"...I believe it's already a part of you"
I’ve had a love for art since I was a very little girl. Starting when I was 3, some of my early memories are exposure to art galleries and making art with my Mom when we played an imaginal game called “squigglies". I recall it being so much fun, lots of giggles, and very creative. Mom would scribble some lines on paper and suggest I complete a drawing by imagining what it could be~ sometimes flowers, or dreamy insects or even the Okanagan Ogopogo. I loved it and realize now how it likely influenced my appreciation of creating art.
I can start to see it as I work intuitively following whatever is emerging on the canvas. Often, even if I begin a painting with a vision in mind, once I begin layering colours and texture, and moving paint around the canvas, things start to happen. An image may emerge or an idea begins to guide me, and take me on a journey: where shall I take this one? It’s much like in “squigglies” when I would follow what my mom had started.
It remains a bit of a mystery: how did I learn to paint? I’m from a family of artistic people ~ graphic designer, landscape designer, and my brother is a fabulous sculptor and painter, so maybe it’s in my blood.
Art was definitely one of my favourite classes in my school years, and went on to take art courses in college but nothing serious. I actually wanted to be a teacher so I pursued that in college. At 20, I was stopped in my tracks by a serious health concern.
It was then that I decided to pause, and take a good look at how I was living and thought “From now on, I'm just going to do what I enjoy the most ” and that’s when I went into an art program. I secured a position working in the film industry’s paint department shortly after that. I also worked as a faux finisher with a local Vancouver company.
A story that Steve Jobs told about the mystery of his own life’s path is always in mind, even at my easel some days I think of his words: "You can’t connect the dots looking forward ~ It’s only when you look back in your life can you can begin to make connections and see how each step you chose led you to where you are now". I think of that when I’m using the same techniques I used for Venetian Plaster in faux finishing in one of my paintings, or how I’ll add a toner to my work, to make it warmer or cooler, just as I learned in the film industry … or even when I follow a line to create an image on my canvas just like I did when I was 3 years old playing "squigglies" game with my mom..
It all seemed to help set my compass and direct me to follow my first love: creating with paint.