Art Matters Interviews Cristina

Learning to draw and paint are only part of what an artist needs to do to create a art career. Learning the business of art is a study of it's own. Years ago I signed up for a year of career coaching with Art Matters. It is the best! I highly recommend working with Aletta de Wal if you want to learn everything you can about how to develop your art business. I'm honored that this month I am the featured artist interview with Aletta. Here's the info from the Art Matters newsletter: In This Issue of Art Matters, Aletta de Wal interviews artist Cristina Acosta

ArtMatters! Vol. #98 September 2008
Artist Career Training helps you make a better living making art. www.artistcareertraining.com

Newsletter from Alleta de Wal of Art Matters:

In August 2001, I went to a local juried art fair that had a reputation for high quality art for collectors and good sales with low commissions for the artists. As I browsed the booths, I discovered a book that was very familiar to me. One of the artists who had done storytelling workshops in my gallery space in the late 90's had used that very book. Now here was the artist who had illustrated it!

Everything about Cristina, her art and her booth was first class. Since then, Cristina has many new experiences to relate about how to make a living as an artist and still have a life. 

Cristina Acosta's background is as diverse as her work throughout the years. Finding the voice of her art was directly tied to the challenge of finding the voice of her culture. Acosta has a large visual vocabulary that speaks for itself in the seamless union between the fine and applied arts apparent in all her creations. Acosta's    work is "exuberant art, rich colors and vivid patterns"; filled with "joyful spirit and colorful compositions."

Cristina has had a web site since 1994 - even before she had her own computer!  She admits to not knowing it came with e-mail! Take a look at what, today, she calls the "the lobby" of her "business."  Her advice: "Make your web site represent you as a person first and your work second. If you make your site imitate your work, your work confines you."

Professionally mentored in Southern California since the age of 11, Acosta received her Bachelor of Fine Arts, in Painting, from the University of Eugene in Oregon. She followed up her education with a position at Central Oregon Community College teaching art, and then worked with a variety of media, including illustrating a children's book  and mixed media paintings. She also developed a signature line of ceramic art tile.  Cristina has a new book, "Paint Happy," published by Northlight Books, introduces Cristina's work to artists everywhere.

She will be sharing her stories with the A.C.T. 101 community in September.