We were lucky to catch up with Calista Graaff recently and have shared our conversation below.

Calista, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’m so happy to be working with a local organization in Yakima, WA that has helped me so much this past year during and after my breast cancer treatment. Wellness House is a resource for support and care for all cancer patients and their families in the community.

When I was going through treatment for my breast cancer, I spent a lot of time in my studio painting. What I chose to paint at that time were scenes of vibrant colors and hopeful themes. I found that doing this put me in a positive frame of mind and helped me to focus on something other than my cancer.

I now display these paintings at this business so that others who are going through the same thing have something positive and hopeful to look at.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Drawing on the beauty of nature, I create unique artwork using acrylic pour backgrounds and oil painted realism to make what I call “abstracted landscapes.” This creates an image that embraces the spontaneity of modern abstract art while maintaining the appeal of realistic traditional landscape scenes.

My process starts with my travel adventures in the Pacific Northwest, hiking, camping, and being surrounded by nature. I document my journey with photographs and sketches and then use those ideas in a unique way, often combining the best of different scenes together to make an “idealized” view. I infuse a lot of color into my work because I feel that artwork should never be boring, it should capture the imagination and change its character throughout the day as the light changes in your home.

I use acrylic paint pour techniques to make the background of a painting. This process takes many layers of paint to accomplish the look I imagine. Once the acrylic pour is dry I will add a lot of texture using a variety of methods to achieve a 3D effect, which makes the landscape draw the viewer in. It makes you want to touch the painting and be a part of it. I then under paint the general layout of the oil paint landscape. I love using oil paints for the detail work of my paintings because it adds depth, consistency of color, and blending ability that acrylic paint can’t accomplish. I will usually add an unexpected item that will only reveal itself if you look closely at the painting. After several weeks of work, a painting is now ready for metallic highlights to add subtle glimmer when you view the painting. I feel that this adds an unexpected touch to an original painting.

My artwork appeals to those who love color, nature, and the unexpected. They want art in their home that brings the outside in and that will be a unique conversation piece to share with friends and family for many years to come.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I find great joy in seeing someone look at my art for the first time and see a sense of wonder. When someone smiles or is reminded of a person or place, that art has touched their heart and I couldn’t be more pleased by that effect.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I found that many who are not artists themselves don’t know how long the process takes to acquire a unique style of art. It took me years to come to the style of art that I am producing at this time and to be consistent in that style. It takes a lot of trial and error, feedback both positive and negative from public events, and “bad” art to arrive to where I am today.

In saying that, art is expensive, because an artist has devoted many hours and years to their craft and the end result reflects that investment and growth. So when you buy a piece of art, you are buying a piece of that artist’s life.

Contact Info:

• Website: ArtByCalista.com
• Instagram: @artbycalistashop
• Youtube: @artbycalistagraaff