Today we’d like to introduce you to Charissa Owens.
Hi Charissa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Charissa Owens, and I am an abstract expressionist artist inspired by interior design, fashion, and the colors and textures in the world around me. Art has always fascinated me, and I consistently worked with my hands to create! This began in elementary school and continued throughout my life. I was always encouraged to be creative. My dad taught me to make things and build with my hands, and my uncle, an architect, gave an art lesson to my elementary class and then continued to share his love of drawing and art. I would sit on his drafting table and draw flowers as he drafted houses. I welded with my grandfather at his farm and learned how to create art out of metal. My family was always creative in nontraditional ways.
I studied art in high school and cultivated it further in college, ultimately earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. Upon graduation, I worked as a Graphic Designer for 4 years and then pursued my other passion of teaching children and taught Kindergarten. While taking a year off from teaching, I worked as a start-up clothing company’s graphic designer, marketing, and social media manager. This experience reawakened more of my creative side and a desire to continue on this artistic journey. I returned to teaching and was able to combine my love of art with teaching children, by now serving as a Talented Visual Arts educator for the Rapides Parish school system. I am passionately focused on growing the love of art for the next generation of artists.
Between being a wife, a mother to 3, and working full-time as an art teacher, I find time to create in the evenings and on the weekends in my home studio and River Oaks Arts Center studio. I began my art career by hand painting pillows with nature scenes in 2020. Since then, I have been commissioned to create multiple abstract, watercolor, and multimedia pieces on display in homes and businesses throughout the US. My artwork incorporates a soft color palette infused with elegance, peace, and serenity. I explore the delicate layering of muted colors and work with many unsuspecting tools. As an artist, I strive for each piece to portray a sophisticated elegance and simplicity that brings warmth wherever it is displayed.
My love for Art History, textiles, interior design, and fashion gives some influence, but my main inspiration comes from past years as a graphic designer and a love of the textures found in nature. I often see compositions and patterns on objects around me that find their way onto my canvas in new and different ways. I love the continuously evolving process of multimedia layering and creating slight hints of the underpainting that peep out in each piece. I live and breathe art in my everyday life, constantly striving to capture the wonder of what I see to share with others. I draw inspiration from simple things that create complex, delicate, and intricate patterns. I feel keen observation, spontaneity, and intuition are key to my creative process.
I have recently branched out from just painting original pieces of art on canvas and have begun a small brand of gift items I created using my original art. I have used my art to create fabric, high-end pillows, insulated tumblers, stationery, tea towels, and hand-loomed rugs that are heirloom pieces crafted by artisans in India using my art as design. My art has paired well with these items, allowing me to bring art into my collector’s homes in more forms than just on a canvas.
My art can be seen on the Hallmark movie “My Southern Family Christmas” set and on set with NBC Universal Studios. I joined the New Orleans gallery Where Y’Art Works and had a piece hanging in the “I Am Woman” show at The Old No. 77 Hotel in NOLA. I love working with corporate jobs as well. I have commissioned pieces at Ochsner Health Clinic in Gonzales, LA, a dental office, and restaurants.
I showed at the Annual 36th September Competition, the I Am Woman exhibit at The Old No. 77 Hotel in NOLA, The Big Easel, White Light Night, The Van Gogh Gala at River Oaks, Tom Peyton Memorial Arts Festival, the PAUSE exhibit at the Alexandria Museum of Art, The Artists Spotlight Show at River Oaks Arts Center, and featured in the online gallery with The Scouted Studio.
I have been featured in Social Northshore Magazine and Porch & Prairie print publications. My art can be found at View Gallery in Mississippi, Furnish NOLA, Rita Durrio & Assoc., S. Clare Designs in Lafayette, Southern Chic, John Ward, and Trotter’s in Alexandria. To see more of my art, you can find me on Facebook and Instagram at @charissaowensart or visit my website at www.charissaowensart.com.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been an incredible journey, and I have truly been amazed at how each step has opened up more doors for me as my business grows. My biggest struggle would be balancing my time between all the different demands of working and family time. I am learning the art of knowing which projects to say yes to and which ones to close the door to. I am also learning to be gracious with myself, allow myself time to explore and experiment with new things, and give myself time to celebrate my accomplishments before working on the following things. For the first several years of my art journey, I was focused on keeping up with my commission timeline and producing as much work as I could as quickly as possible. I am slowing down and enjoying the journey of the creation. That has been a balancing act and something I must work on daily. My husband always reminds me to enjoy the journey, and I am improving.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in botanicals and heavily textured art. I also love to hand mold botanicals, birds, shells, aquatic life, and other natural objects using clay and add them to my canvas. Many people comment that my art brings a calm and serene feeling when they view it. I am most proud of that because the world needs more peace and serenity. I love that I can evoke those emotions when people view my work. My use of color sets me apart from others. I can mingle many colors but keep it neutral, muted, and calm. I love all the earthy colors. Blues, greens, grays, and muted pinks are some of my favorite colors to incorporate into each piece.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a very free spirit. I loved fashion, music, interior design, animals, and the outdoors. I was always wanting to repaint my room and redecorate. I remember one time my mom let me redo my room, and I rubbed beeswax on the walls after I painted to give it a beautifully textured look. I have always loved French jazz music and listen to that most of the time when I paint. I studied art history growing up and constantly flipped through art books to learn about other artists worldwide. Exercise was always a big part of my life. I used to run and go to the gym to lift weights, but I have recently enjoyed walks, yoga, and pilates. I have a very close-knit family and have always enjoyed spending time with them. Family is what keeps you grounded.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.charissaowensart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charissaowensart/ or @charissaowensart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charissa.owens.1
Image Credits
Camille Robinson took the photo of me with the paintbrushes.
